Skip to main content

Katelyn’s Story: Thriving After Two Heart Transplants

October 24, 2025
2 min read

At 22, Katelyn LaConte was set to graduate from nursing school but had been feeling run down, short of breath and experiencing abdominal and chest pain. During gallbladder surgery, doctors discovered her heart was functioning at just 10 percent—she needed a life-saving transplant. She was quickly transferred to Tufts Medical Center’s Cardiac Care Unit to await a heart transplant.

Katelyn’s Story: Thriving After Two Heart Transplants

Her first transplant was successful, and for 10 years, Katelyn thrived—launching a career in patient advocacy and staying active. But after a decade, she was diagnosed with chronic rejection and needed a second transplant. Once again, Tufts Medical Center provided not only expert care but also emotional support for her and her family during a frightening time.

In August of 2022, Katelyn received her second heart transplant, supported by much of the same clinical team she had in 2011. Today, she’s doing well and is proud to support Tufts Medical Center through generous philanthropic gifts. Katelyn wants to make sure every patient has access to that same compassionate care.

Thanks to donors like Katelyn, Tufts Medical Center continues to deliver world-class care, comfort and hope when it matters most.

In 2024, Tufts Medical Center performed 71 heart transplants—the most of any hospital in New England—breaking our own record from the previous year. This milestone highlights Tufts Medical Center’s leadership in advanced heart care and our unwavering commitment to patients and families.

Learn more about giving to Tufts Medical Center

MENTIONED IN THIS PAGE:
A woman and her husband outside their home, representing lives changed by the Breast Cancer Awareness 5K.
Articles
Join Us for Tufts Medical Center's Second Annual Breast Cancer Awareness 5K
September 21, 2026
Oncoplastic surgeon Sarah Persing, MD, shares how community support is making a difference for Tufts Medicine’s breast cancer patients and their families.
Anasuya Gunturi, MD, PhD
Articles
A Gift that Outlasts a Lifetime
September 9, 2026
How Joan Barbera Perreault's planned gift is transforming cancer care at Lowell General Hospital
Couple going over estate planning
Articles
The West Fund: A Legacy that Continues to Serve
September 8, 2026
How one estate gift keeps shaping patient care at MelroseWakefield Hospital.

Be among the first to know

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

Sign up now
Jump back to top