December 14, 2008
Dear Dr. Lefrak,
This coming New Year’s Day is the 20th anniversary of my heart transplant that unfortunately spoiled your New Year’s Eve 1988 plans!
Seriously, I want to take this occasion to express my profound gratitude for your skill and expertise. The intent of this letter is to bring you up-to-date on my activities over the past two decades, in hopes that this statement comprises a testimony to the great success of the Inova Heart Transplant Program.
The transplant surgery and follow-up care basically enabled me to return to a normal life and the ability to continue my career. A great irony for one whose life was extended due to a drunk-driving accident is that I am a highway safety engineer. My specific focus is highway safety research. Subsequent to transplantation, I have published many professional papers and have personally presented my work in Europe, Asia and Australia.
A number of personal accomplishments are worth noting, e.g. rating as a USTA tennis player and winning a few NASTAR ski-racing medals. While in Australia on business, I climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Since the transplant, I’ve had the good fortune to marry a wonderful woman. Now, at 66 years of age, my health is still good.
There is no way I can effectively say “thank you.” I’ll never forget the benefit I derived from meeting transplant recipients when I was ill with cardiomyopathy. My meeting those patients instilled in me a level of confidence that was truly life-saving, i.e., resulting in my decision to enter the transplant program.
Sincerely,
Fred Hanscom
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