What an absolute pleasure to get to hear this strong young man story. Struggling with his heart that led to him eventually needing a heart transplant. In 2012, Andrew was diagnosed with a viral myocarditis that eventually led to cardiomyopathy and end-stage heart failure. He was admitted to Hartford Hospital and placed on the heart transplant waiting list. During his inpatient stay, he began advocating for organ and tissue donation from his hospital bed and even founded a non-profit that would encourage others to register as organ and tissue donors. After four months of living in the ICU, Jones condition began to deteriorate despite excellent care. He was implanted with a left ventricular assist device or heart pump that would take over the function of his failing heart in order to make it to transplant. On September 21, 2016, Andrew received his heart transplant at Hartford Hospital. His heart was donated by a man in his 30’s after suffering a fatal motorcycle accident. Since then, Andrew has been on a mission to continue helping those affected by organ donation and transplantation. He attended Tunxis Community College to become a registered medical assistant and now works for New England Donor Services: the same Organ Procurement Organization that helped facilitate his heart transplant. enjoy!
