After spending 15 years fighting a failing heart and facing rejection from transplant centers across the United States, Monica McFarlan received what doctors estimated to be her final prognosis: somewhere between two days and two weeks to live. As her family prepared for hospice care, an unexpected medical breakthrough offered her one last chance at survival.
McFarlan’s medical journey had been grueling. By age 37, she required nine different medications to sustain her heart function. Her treatment history included two heart pumps and emergency brain surgery. Despite exhausting every avenue, her condition continued to deteriorate, leaving her medically ineligible for a standard heart transplant due to an excessive number of antibodies in her body that would cause immediate organ rejection.
With time running out, McFarlan began the emotionally devastating process of saying farewell to her husband, mother, and children.
A revolutionary surgical approach
Just as her family was preparing for the end, Emory Hospital presented an option: the HALT procedure, which stands for Heart After Liver Transplant. This complex 16-hour operation involves transplanting a liver first, followed by a heart.
The transplanted liver serves a critical function beyond its normal role. According to Dr. Victor Pretorius, who described the process as “beautiful,” the liver acts as a biological filter, absorbing the antibodies that would otherwise attack and reject the new heart. This protective function continues indefinitely, essentially creating a permanent shield for the transplanted heart.
Because McFarlan’s original liver was healthy, surgeons were able to donate it to another patient in need, creating a chain of life-saving procedures from a single surgery.
From farewell to new life
“Oh my gosh, it was just from the lowest point of my life, telling my boys goodbye and my husband and my mom, to the highest of highs,” McFarlan recalled.
The dramatic turnaround transformed not only her physical health but also deepened her spiritual convictions. “I had a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance! I am just so grateful. I thank God every day. My faith has grown so strong, and my trust in him, because without God, I wouldn’t be here right now,” she testified.
McFarlan’s experience demonstrates how medical innovation can provide hope even in seemingly impossible situations. Her recovery serves as a reminder of the biblical promise found in Jeremiah 32:17: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”
