He was the second patient to receive a heart: it will be 25 years on Feb. 16. LeFrois is the program\u2019s longest surviving heart transplant recipient.<\/p>\n
The Gift of Life provided him precious time to proudly raise his children, walk his daughters down the aisle, and share his passion for fishing with his six grandchildren.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about family and my time with them is so special,\u201d said the Ontario County resident.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing to think about the many people we\u2019ve touched. Our patients and their families have been given second chances to enjoy life,\u201d said Leway Chen, MD, MPH<\/a>, medical director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEach transplant happens because an individual or family decided to donate organs and help save lives. We are proud to partner with Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network<\/a>, which works tirelessly to support our efforts and successes.\u201d<\/p>\n Strong Memorial is Upstate New York\u2019s only site for heart transplantation, providing this comprehensive heart care close to home \u2013 eliminating the need to travel long distances.<\/p>\n \u201cPatients put trust in their care teams to restore their health. We take great pride in helping them not only recover, but thrive,\u201d said Peter Knight, MD<\/a>, chief of Cardiac Surgery<\/a>.<\/p>\n The nearly 400 recipients of new hearts share how they\u2019re making the most of their second chances. Here are a few.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n John LeFrois of Hopewell is Strong’s longest-surviving heart transplant recipient.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n David Beatson\u2019s journey to transplantation was a textbook example of why the Cardiac Care<\/a> team pushed for this program in Rochester.<\/p>\n His doctors exhausted all therapies, and transplantation was his only option. Beatson considered traveling to Cleveland Clinic for a heart transplant. But that meant he\u2019d have to stay there indefinitely. That was a deal breaker.<\/p>\n \u201cWe couldn\u2019t move to Cleveland,\u201d his wife, Marianne, said. \u201cFinances were tight even though I had a good job\u2026and, of course, our family’s all here.\u201d<\/p>\n They chose to stay in Rochester, prepared to \u201cface whatever was to come,\u201d Mrs. Beatson said.<\/p>\n A short time later Strong\u2019s program opened and Beatson\u2019s doctors urged him to meet with the team. It was easy to put their trust in Chen and cardiac transplant surgeon H. Todd Massey, MD, to save his life, Mrs. Beatson said.<\/p>\n He was added to Strong\u2019s heart transplant wait list, and 12 days later, a matching heart was available. This was it. Everything the team planned and practiced was in motion.<\/p>\n Massey traveled to retrieve the heart, to make sure it was a good heart. Indeed it was.<\/p>\n Beatson enjoyed nearly 10 years with his new heart, \u201cwhich were valuable years for all of us,\u201d his wife said. \u201cWe had so many good times, and it was very special when he got to hold his grandson. It was a highlight because he really looked forward to that moment.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n David Beatson was the first person to receive heart transplantation surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital. He was proud to meet his grandson<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Gaetano \u201cGates\u201d Orlando was another pioneer in local heart failure care. When his heart function tanked, his doctors implanted an artificial heart<\/a> \u2013 a complex pump system \u2013 to provide life support until a donor heart became available.<\/p>\n Ten months later, on Feb. 4, 2013, the former Olympic hockey player received a new heart.<\/p>\n With a second chance, Orlando is living well. He took his family to Europe, and took a new scouting job role with the New York Islanders and hopes they\u2019ll win the Stanley Cup. He treasures dancing with his daughter on her wedding day.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t look too far ahead, but I want to see Australia, and I\u2019d like to have grandchildren someday,\u201d Orlando said.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Former Olympic hockey player Gaetano “Gates” Orlando dances with his daughter on her wedding day. It was a special moment made possible by his organ donor.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Tom Conroy was born with a serious congenital heart condition and despite surgeries and medication, his heart was failing while he was in college. He was anxious to finish his education, get a job and live on his own. Instead, he was waiting for another surgery \u2013 a heart transplant at Strong.<\/p>\n He received a new beginning, a new heart April 13, 2001.<\/p>\n Fast forward to today, Conroy and his wife, Melissa, are busy with their two sons\u2019 school, sports and activities. Their lives are hectic, but they love it, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t stop and think about how fortunate I am nearly often enough,\u201d Conroy said. \u201cMy wife is an amazing person, and we are truly lucky to have fostered 11 kids and adopted our boys. I am blessed to be able to do this.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Tom Conroy was just 22 when doctors at Strong Memorial Hospital gave him a new heart, and the opportunity to create this life.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Central New York\u2019s Stephanie McLaughlin was airlifted to Strong after experiencing rapid heart failure in the fall of 2019. She worried about her four children \u2013 they were just 11, 7, 6 and 3 \u2013 and whether she\u2019d make it back to them. \u201cI\u2019m thankful for every birthday, holiday, and milestone\u2014but even more, I treasure the everyday moments: helping the kids get ready for school, watching a movie together, going to church, doing chores, playing games, or eating dinner. These are the moments that make life truly meaningful, and I never take them for granted,\u201d McLaughin said.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Silly moments like this make mom Stephanie McLaughlin grateful for her second chance.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Meteorologist Scott Hetsko knows he is lucky to be alive, and relishes time with his wife and three children, who were very young when he was gravely ill.<\/p>\n Given a second chance<\/a> Sept. 16, 2015, he routinely wears a Donate Life pin on his lapel. And if anyone asks, he shares his story and encourages them to consider enrolling in the state\u2019s organ donor registry<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so few people signed up and there\u2019s a desperate need for organs,\u201d Hetsko said. “If we all took that step to be willing to donate someday, then everybody that needs an organ might have a shot.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Selfies like this illustrate the importance of organ donation for the Hetsko family. Scott Hetsko, left, urges people to enroll in the state’s Donate Life Registry. Go to passlifeon.org<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Ashley Cuylear was juggling her role as mom to a teenager with nursing school and dialysis to treat kidney failure \u2013 it was no wonder she was exhausted all the time. She kept moving forward, until her mother saw her struggle to climb a flight of stairs and insisted she get care immediately.<\/p>\n Doctors saw that her heart function was plummeting, in addition to her kidney. Cuylear needed mechanical support to survive until they could find a matching heart and kidney.<\/p>\n Three years ago, the cardiac and kidney transplant teams gave her a second chance<\/a>, and she\u2019s using it to help others.<\/p>\n Cuylear completed nursing school and recently joined 做厙勛圖 Medicine\u2019s Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a> Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team, where she can give back.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n After heart and kidney transplants, Ashley Cuylear joined the University of Rochester Medicine nursing team!<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n When Buffalo\u2019s Danny Pszczolkowski was waiting for a new heart at Strong Memorial Hospital, he didn\u2019t expect to meet the love of his life<\/a>.<\/p>\n Transplant recipient Esther FitzRandolph was hospitalized on the same unit. They met and their conversations came easily. There was definitely a spark.<\/p>\n After Pszczolkowski got a new heart on April 24, 2011, their friendship continued to grow, blossoming into love. And the couple chose to share their vows in the chapel at Strong Memorial, where it all started.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n There was a spark between Esther and Danny when they met at Strong. Their shared experience through heart transplantation led to a bond for life<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Buffalo nurse Denise Abbey, who spent nearly 20 years caring for behavioral health patients, suffered a coronary artery tear in 2020 that triggered a heart attack and heart failure<\/a>. Despite multiple surgeries, a pacemaker, and a balloon pump, her condition kept declining, leaving her homebound and struggling to care for her sons and nephew.<\/p>\n Cardiologists in Buffalo and Rochester collaborated to get her listed for a transplant at Strong Memorial Hospital. Just nine days later, a matching heart was found, and Abbey underwent a five-hour transplant surgery in June 2022\u2014becoming the 300th patient to receive a new heart through Strong’s program, which has performed transplants since 2001. She returned home to Cheektowaga later that month, grateful for her second chance.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text] [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”50px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n John LeFrois of Hopewell is Strong’s longest-surviving heart transplant recipient.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Each morning John Lefrois is \u201cgrateful to open my eyes and take a breath. It\u2019s a daily reminder that I\u2019m lucky to be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n LeFrois and nearly 400 others have received new hearts, thanks to generous organ donors, at 做厙勛圖 Medicine Strong Memorial Hospital<\/a>. The Advanced Heart Failure<\/a> team performed its first transplant on Feb. 7, 2001, and Saturday marks the 25th anniversary.<\/p>\n He was the second patient to receive a heart: it will be 25 years on Feb. 16. LeFrois is the program\u2019s longest surviving heart transplant recipient.<\/p>\n The Gift of Life provided him precious time to proudly raise his children, walk his daughters down the aisle, and share his passion for fishing with his six grandchildren.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about family and my time with them is so special,\u201d said the Ontario County resident.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to think about the many people we\u2019ve touched. Our patients and their families have been given second chances to enjoy life,\u201d said Leway Chen, MD, MPH<\/a>, medical director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEach transplant happens because an individual or family decided to donate organs and help save lives. We are proud to partner with Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network<\/a>, which works tirelessly to support our efforts and successes.\u201d<\/p>\n Strong Memorial is Upstate New York\u2019s only site for heart transplantation, providing this comprehensive heart care close to home \u2013 eliminating the need to travel long distances.<\/p>\n \u201cPatients put trust in their care teams to restore their health. We take great pride in helping them not only recover, but thrive,\u201d said Peter Knight, MD<\/a>, chief of Cardiac Surgery<\/a>.<\/p>\n The nearly 400 recipients of new hearts share how they\u2019re making the most of their second chances. Here are a few.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n David Beatson was the first person to receive heart transplantation surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital. He was proud to meet his grandson<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]David Beatson\u2019s journey to transplantation was a textbook example of why the Cardiac Care<\/a> team pushed for this program in Rochester.<\/p>\n His doctors exhausted all therapies, and transplantation was his only option. Beatson considered traveling to Cleveland Clinic for a heart transplant. But that meant he\u2019d have to stay there indefinitely. That was a deal breaker.<\/p>\n \u201cWe couldn\u2019t move to Cleveland,\u201d his wife, Marianne, said. \u201cFinances were tight even though I had a good job\u2026and, of course, our family’s all here.\u201d<\/p>\n They chose to stay in Rochester, prepared to \u201cface whatever was to come,\u201d Mrs. Beatson said.<\/p>\n A short time later Strong\u2019s program opened and Beatson\u2019s doctors urged him to meet with the team. It was easy to put their trust in Chen and cardiac transplant surgeon H. Todd Massey, MD, to save his life, Mrs. Beatson said.<\/p>\n He was added to Strong\u2019s heart transplant wait list, and 12 days later, a matching heart was available. This was it. Everything the team planned and practiced was in motion.<\/p>\n Massey traveled to retrieve the heart, to make sure it was a good heart. Indeed it was.<\/p>\n Beatson enjoyed nearly 10 years with his new heart, \u201cwhich were valuable years for all of us,\u201d his wife said. \u201cWe had so many good times, and it was very special when he got to hold his grandson. It was a highlight because he really looked forward to that moment.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Former Olympic hockey player Gaetano “Gates” Orlando dances with his daughter on her wedding day. It was a special moment made possible by his organ donor.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Gaetano \u201cGates\u201d Orlando was another pioneer in local heart failure care. When his heart function tanked, his doctors implanted an artificial heart<\/a> \u2013 a complex pump system \u2013 to provide life support until a donor heart became available.<\/p>\n Ten months later, on Feb. 4, 2013, the former Olympic hockey player received a new heart.<\/p>\n With a second chance, Orlando is living well. He took his family to Europe, and took a new scouting job role with the New York Islanders and hopes they\u2019ll win the Stanley Cup. He treasures dancing with his daughter on her wedding day.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t look too far ahead, but I want to see Australia, and I\u2019d like to have grandchildren someday,\u201d Orlando said.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Tom Conroy was just 22 when doctors at Strong Memorial Hospital gave him a new heart, and the opportunity to create this life.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Tom Conroy was born with a serious congenital heart condition and despite surgeries and medication, his heart was failing while he was in college. He was anxious to finish his education, get a job and live on his own. Instead, he was waiting for another surgery \u2013 a heart transplant at Strong.<\/p>\n He received a new beginning, a new heart April 13, 2001.<\/p>\n Fast forward to today, Conroy and his wife, Melissa, are busy with their two sons\u2019 school, sports and activities. Their lives are hectic, but they love it, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t stop and think about how fortunate I am nearly often enough,\u201d Conroy said. \u201cMy wife is an amazing person, and we are truly lucky to have fostered 11 kids and adopted our boys. I am blessed to be able to do this.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Silly moments like this make mom Stephanie McLaughlin grateful for her second chance.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Central New York\u2019s Stephanie McLaughlin was airlifted to Strong after experiencing rapid heart failure in the fall of 2019. She worried about her four children \u2013 they were just 11, 7, 6 and 3 \u2013 and whether she\u2019d make it back to them. \u201cI\u2019m thankful for every birthday, holiday, and milestone\u2014but even more, I treasure the everyday moments: helping the kids get ready for school, watching a movie together, going to church, doing chores, playing games, or eating dinner. These are the moments that make life truly meaningful, and I never take them for granted,\u201d McLaughin said.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Selfies like this illustrate the importance of organ donation for the Hetsko family. Scott Hetsko, left, urges people to enroll in the state’s Donate Life Registry.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Meteorologist Scott Hetsko knows he is lucky to be alive, and relishes time with his wife and three children, who were very young when he was gravely ill.<\/p>\n Given a second chance<\/a> Sept. 16, 2015, he routinely wears a Donate Life pin on his lapel. And if anyone asks, he shares his story and encourages them to consider enrolling in the state\u2019s organ donor registry<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so few people signed up and there\u2019s a desperate need for organs,\u201d Hetsko said. “If we all took that step to be willing to donate someday, then everybody that needs an organ might have a shot.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n After heart and kidney transplants, Ashley Cuylear joined the University of Rochester Medicine nursing team!<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Ashley Cuylear was juggling her role as mom to a teenager with nursing school and dialysis to treat kidney failure \u2013 it was no wonder she was exhausted all the time. She kept moving forward, until her mother saw her struggle to climb a flight of stairs and insisted she get care immediately.<\/p>\n Doctors saw that her heart function was plummeting, in addition to her kidney. Cuylear needed mechanical support to survive until they could find a matching heart and kidney.<\/p>\n Three years ago, the cardiac and kidney transplant teams gave her a second chance<\/a>, and she\u2019s using it to help others.<\/p>\n Cuylear completed nursing school and recently joined 做厙勛圖 Medicine\u2019s Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a> Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team, where she can give back.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n There was a spark between Esther and Danny when they met at Strong. Their shared experience through heart transplantation led to a bond for life<\/p><\/div>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]When Buffalo\u2019s Danny Pszczolkowski was waiting for a new heart at Strong Memorial Hospital, he didn\u2019t expect to meet the love of his life<\/a>.<\/p>\n Transplant recipient Esther FitzRandolph was hospitalized on the same unit. They met and their conversations came easily. There was definitely a spark.<\/p>\n After Pszczolkowski got a new heart on April 24, 2011, their friendship continued to grow, blossoming into love. And the couple chose to share their vows in the chapel at Strong Memorial, where it all started.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]![\"LeFrois](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LeFrois-225x300.jpeg\")
First Heart<\/h3>\n
![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Beatson-225x300.jpg\")
Powerful Tech<\/h3>\n
![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GatesOrlando_resize-300x180.png\")
Family Focus<\/h3>\n
![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Conroy4-300x225.jpg\")
Moments that Matter<\/h3>\n
\n.
\nThe holidays were approaching, and McLaughlin desperately wanted to celebrate with her family. With what some believe to be a bit of Christmas magic in her transplantation story<\/a>, she made it home just in time.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/McLaughlin-300x217.jpeg\")
Paying it Forward<\/h3>\n
![\"Hetsko-family](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Hetsko-family-Summer-2025-300x227.jpg\")
Dual Organ Transplant<\/h3>\n
![\"photo](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cuylear2_resize-278x300.png\")
Making a Love Match<\/h3>\n
![\"Danny](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Pszczolkowski-300x169.jpg\")
Caring Buffalo nurse receives new heart, second chance<\/h3>\n
![\"Denise](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/strong-expansion-project\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Denise-Abbey_800w-300x169.jpg\")
<\/p>\n做厙勛圖 Medicine celebrates a quarter century as Upstate NY\u2019s only heart failure and transplant center<\/h3>\n
First Heart<\/h3>\n
Powerful Tech<\/h3>\n
Family Focus<\/h3>\n
Moments that Matter<\/h3>\n
\n.
\nThe holidays were approaching, and McLaughlin desperately wanted to celebrate with her family. With what some believe to be a bit of Christmas magic in her transplantation story<\/a>, she made it home just in time.<\/p>\nPaying it Forward<\/h3>\n
Dual Organ Transplant<\/h3>\n
Making a Love Match<\/h3>\n
Caring Buffalo nurse receives new heart, second chance<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n