Sonya Marshmon’s journey with heart issues began in 1997, just four months after her son was born. What started as tachycardia, or an irregular heartbeat, eventually progressed to congestive heart failure. Despite years of managing her condition with medications and a defibrillator, Sonya’s health continued to decline until she found herself in need of a heart transplant.
“My family has been dealing with me and heart issues for over 20 years,” said Sonya. “My biggest support was my two sisters, my husband, and my son, but my whole family was great. My sister Kim was wonderful — she’s a cardiac nurse, so when doctors start using those words that the rest of the world doesn’t use, she was there to help us understand what was going on.”
In 2021, Sonya was placed on the transplant list, but her situation wasn’t yet critical enough for hospitalization. As her symptoms worsened, she was admitted to UNC Hospital in October.
“I thought the medication was making me feel really bad and making me throw up, but it actually was the heart failure that had gotten worse,” said Sonya. “I went back to Dr. Chang at UNC and told her what was going on, and she told me I needed to be hospitalized.”
Sonya’s condition deteriorated, requiring a balloon pump, and she progressed to Level 2 out of 6 on the transplant waiting list. Despite setbacks, including a failed heart offer, Sonya finally received her lifesaving transplant on November 20. While recovery wasn’t without its challenges, Sonya’s resilience and the unwavering support of her family and medical team saw her through.
“The UNC team is great,” said Sonya who was under the care of Dr. Patricia Pat-Yue Chang. “Dr. Chang and Brittany, my post-transplant coordinator, have both been wonderful. They really get to know you; they really get to know your family. It’s kind of like a family affair.”
Following her return home, Sonya’s support system organized a welcome home parade, attended by family members, coworkers, neighbors, and well-wishers.
“I sat on the porch for a while because I had not been in the sunshine for two months, and then I heard all of these horns honking,” recalled Sonya. “I saw my son coming down the road with his convertible top down and balloons on his car. They were playing “Celebration,” by Kool & The Gang. There were probably about 40 cars coming down the road with balloons and signs on their cars welcoming me home. It was so emotional, I just cried like a little baby. My sister made shirts, and when we participate in the American Heart Walk every year, we wear them.”
With her newfound energy and vitality, Sonya is reclaiming the joys of life, from daily walks to family vacations. While the journey hasn’t been easy, Sonya is grateful every day for the second chance she’s been given.
“I feel like I died, and I came back as a different person,” said Sonya. “That’s really the best way to explain it — it’s like that old person is gone, and now I feel like a young, healthy person. I can now do things that I haven’t been able to do since my 20s.”
Beyond her personal gratitude, Sonya emphasizes the importance of organ donation. Having experienced the transformative power of a donated heart firsthand, she urges others to consider registering as organ donors. For Sonya and her family, it’s a gift of life that can’t be overstated.
“Working as a nurse every day in the hospital, it’s mandatory to notify the Organ Procurement Organization so they can be in touch with the family of an organ donor,” said cardiac nurse Kim Wooten, Sonya’s sister. “But you don’t get to see the outcomes of it until you’re faced with it yourself. Now I appreciate whole-heartedly the efforts that HonorBridge puts in place to educate nurses and healthcare workers, ensuring that someone will be in touch with those family members to talk to them about organ donation and what it can do for others.”
As she continues her recovery, Sonya remains deeply aware of the preciousness of each moment. With a heart filled with gratitude and a spirit renewed, she looks forward to embracing the future with open arms.
“I would like to thank my donor’s family, because they gave me a whole new life,” said Sonya. “I do understand that in order for me to have a new life they lost a family member, so I don’t want to push them — but I hope they received my thank you letter, because in it I explain how much it means to me.”
More than 100,000 people are waiting nationwide for a lifesaving organ transplant, including more than 3,000 North Carolinians. Together, we can save lives. Register your decision here: https://bit.ly/3hmiWKE
