Skip to main content

Helen’s Story: How One Heart Transplant Beats for a Whole Family

Helen’s Story: How One Heart Transplant Beats for a Whole Family

February 13, 2024
1 min read

Great-grandmother Helen's heart transplant gives her more time with the people she loves.

Last year, Tufts Medical Center performed more heart transplants than any other hospital in New England, but the numbers don’t tell the full story. Meet one of those heart transplant recipients, Helen Gagnon from Vermont, and see the incredible impact that her new heart has on all 4 generations of her close-knit family.

 

 

Learn about our heart failure + cardiac transplant services 

Cardiac stress test
Articles
Cardiac Stress Tests: What to Expect Before, During + After
September 10, 2026
Learn what to expect before, during and after a cardiac stress test, from how to prepare to what happens during the test.
Tufts Medical Center Honor Walk
Articles
The Meaning of an Honor Walk: A Reflection on Organ Donation
July 23, 2026
For patients, families, and caregivers, an honor walk marks one of life's most profound moments. Michael Conti shares his personal reflections on witnessing this powerful tradition for the first time.
A clinician showing comfort to a patient in a hospital bed
Articles
A New Gold Standard: How Tufts Medical Center is Expanding Access to Psychiatric Care for Patients with LVADs
July 8, 2026
Patients living with LVADs often face significant mental health challenges, yet access to inpatient psychiatric care has historically been limited due to the complexity of their medical needs. At Tufts Medical Center, close collaboration across cardiology, psychiatry, nursing, and hospital leadership is helping bridge that gap, expand access and set a new standard for more coordinated, patient-centered care.

Be among the first to know

Enjoy the latest health updates from Tufts Medicine by signing up for our e-newsletter today.

Jump back to top