It all started in the fall of 2022, with what Mark and Helen Vasudevan thought was the common flu.
“My flu lingered for about three weeks, unlike a normal sort of flu, which is usually gone in about 10 days,” recalled Mark. “I was on all sorts of over-the-counter meds that didn’t work. I got pretty bad, and Helen told me I should check myself into the hospital.”
When Mark arrived at the emergency room, the first doctor he saw diagnosed him with “textbook heart failure.” The news was shocking to Helen and their son, Vince, especially given Mark’s healthy lifestyle—he regularly practiced martial arts for eight hours a week. But the diagnosis was real: Mark’s heart had sustained severe damage during his illness.
“He was treated with stents, but they also put in a pacemaker and a defibrillator because he had two heart attacks and died both times and they had to bring him back,” said Helen. “The staff at Novant Health’s Forsyth Medical Center were very exemplary in their level of care and worked diligently to find a solution. Dr. Andersen, his cardiologist, and her staff did all that they could do to try and make his heart pump more effectively so that he could live. In the meantime, we both contracted Covid, and he went downhill rapidly,” said Helen.
Covid attacked the weakest part of Mark’s already fragile heart, leading to his transfer to Duke Hospital for a heart transplant.
“Dr. Alhosaini, the head of critical care, diagnosed that I needed a new heart,” said Mark. “He arranged for my transfer to Duke Hospital for a heart transplant. Every single test imaginable was run by Duke over the course of five days by Dr. Devore, my cardiologist, and his staff,” said Mark. “They initially said that it could take up to 8-10 weeks to get a heart. Surprisingly, it took only 11 days.”
On May 22, 2023, Mark received his second chance at life, and 11 days later, he was discharged.
“The whole time at Duke stretched from the beginning of May to the end of May,” said Helen. “Mark was lucky because he didn’t have any other underlying conditions. According to Dr. Schroder, his cardiac surgeon, he’s the poster child for heart transplants because he’s done so well.”
Mark and Helen both credit Duke’s comprehensive care to his quick recovery; since his surgery, he has had no complications or episodes of rejection.
“They gave me a walker and I was walking less than 48 hours after having a heart transplant,” said Mark. “That’s how good the care was. They have a different league of doctors, nurses and physiotherapists for post-operative care at Duke. They said to keep walking, do not remain in bed. Every day I’d get my blood drawn at 4:30 a.m. and I’d be up walking, doing laps around the ward. I’d walk two or three times a day. Sometimes other patients would see me walking and we’d walk together. Since the transplant, I have not had a single indication of rejection at all. I keep joking with the surgeon and cardiologist and saying, ‘I’m not giving it back!’”
While May 22 brought a blessing for Mark, it was a bittersweet day for their family. Helen’s 97-year-old father passed that same day, his last words spent asking after Mark.
“You cannot imagine what was going on in our life,” said Helen. “Our son was with my father, and I was at Duke, and we would switch. He’d had a stroke about a year before. He woke up one time and he asked about Mark, and my son said, ‘it’s okay, Grandpa, Mark’s fine.’ My son walked out of the room on his way to Duke and my dad passed.”
Amid their grief, the family was acutely aware that Mark’s new heart came at a great cost to another family.
“It was really difficult, because while we were grateful, we realized that somebody else was grieving,” said Helen. “That was a very difficult thing to process.”
Today, Mark is back at work, and he and Helen cherish every moment.
“I feel that I owe what I do to what I have received—my second life,” said Mark. “When walking, I feel no pain, no shortness of breath at all. After the transplant I felt like I could do anything. Three weeks after my transplant, I went and cleaned the inside of Helen’s car including all the crevices. Not surprisingly, I was just a bit sore. It has changed my quality of life, but we also look at things differently now. I don’t take good health for granted. I sit down, smell the roses, and appreciate the little things.”
While no contact has been made with the donor’s family, both Helen and Mark think about the donor’s courageous decision every single day. “We’re so grateful to whoever it was,” said Helen. “I cannot imagine what they went through. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I had lost both my husband and father on the same day. If not for this donor, my son and I would be left alone. They saved everybody in our family.”
To others facing similar situations, Mark and Helen advise staying strong, having faith, and reaching out for help when needed.
“I think it’s very easy to become reliant on your own ability to deal with the recovery process, but it’s not something trivial,” said Mark. “Listen to what you’re advised to do and follow it to the letter. Have faith, have patience, and listen to their instructions. Duke was great because they had people we could call on for anything. It’s not just an individual dealing with a transplant, it’s the entire family. If there is a service being offered to you, take advantage of it, because you don’t know what you would get out of it. Press all the buttons. Take one step at a time, one day at a time. Call on your support system. Don’t be hesitant to ask people, because we found that people really want to help.”
For the Vasudevan family, one person’s “yes” saved them from an unimaginable loss—a gift beyond measure.
“I want potential donors to know how much of a difference they can make,” Mark said. “It’s not just about one person; it affects entire families, generations. The gift of life is profound. Words can’t do it justice. You have the chance to make a real difference. This is serious.”
75 lives could be saved and healed from one organ, eye, and tissue donor. Together, we can save lives. Register your decision today.
