November 18, 2005

A happy anniversary for first MGH heart transplant patient

John A. Scripter, the first patient at the MGH to receive a heart transplant, celebrated a special anniversary at the beginning of November — the 20th anniversary of his new lease on life. On Nov. 4, Scripter and his wife Linda returned to the hospital for a routine checkup with his cardiologists. Following the checkup, a reception, complete with presents and cake, was held to honor Scripter and the 20 years the MGH Cardiac Transplantation Program has existed.

His caregivers — including G. William Dec, MD, chief of Cardiology, and Marc Semigran, MD, medical director of the Heart Failure and Transplantation Program — helped celebrate this milestone. Even Marshall Jacobs, MD, who led the surgical team during Scripter's surgery and now is chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, called to wish Scripter a happy anniversary.

“Twenty years ago after the surgery was over, I woke up and felt better than I had in awhile,” said Scripter. “I was lucky to be given an opportunity to live a normal life.”