BIRMINHAM, Mich. (WXYZ) — It's Heart Health Month and we want to share the story about a man who is literally considered a walking miracle. He has undergone not one but two heart transplants and while many counted him out, he has not only beat the odds, but he has inspired his own daughter along the way.
Erik Morganroth was living the American Dream attending the University of Michigan as an undergrad. Smart as a whip he was waiting to apply for med school then without warning, the unthinkable happened.
“Woke up one morning just couldn't catch my breath,” said Erik Morganroth.
In his early 20s, Erik had never broken a bone but he was having a tough time taking a shower. He drove himself to the hospital. Within minutes he was admitted and then transferred to the University of Michigan's Cardiovascular Center.
“I had these big tubes coming into my chest and out of my chest and if I moved or got up and dropped some of those tubes, I might not survive so they had me artificially paralyzed,” said Morganroth.
Basically, his heart was being pumped artificially.
He was in and out of a medically induced coma and diagnosed with myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle it can weaken your heart which can lead to heart failure or sudden death.
“I don't think I was supposed to survive it but ultimately, I had some incredible care and some luck somebody looking over me I guess,” said Morganroth.
Erik was quickly put on the waiting list for a heart transplant because he would die without machines keeping him alive.
“I was very sick so I'm sure I was in the top five at the time,” said Morganroth.
“I mean you're knocking on death's door?” said Carolyn Clifford.
“I'm knocking on death's door, and I think one of the top categories for being at the top of the list was are you artificially being kept alive, and at the time I was,” said Morganroth.
“So, I was not able to survive without intervention, so it wasn't like I was sitting in a hospital bed just waiting. I had machines keeping me alive,” added Morganroth.
He was in bed on heart machines for 34 days which at the time was the longest in the world anyone had lived.
“They didn't even know if my brain was damaged from the fact that I wasn't getting enough oxygen that I possibly needed so there was a lot of unknown,” said Morganroth.
At age 25 Erik gets a heart transplant.
“I had to learn how to live life differently,” said Morganroth.
Twenty-five meds a day, a new diet, and caring for a brand-new heart.
A heart that leads him to marry his wife Andrea a year later. Soon after they have two children and life seems relatively normal.
More than a decade later, a yearly stress echo test is worrisome.
“I get a phone call from my doctor, not typical,” said Morganroth. “He says Erik, you need to come back.”
Once again, he's admitted to the hospital and told his heart is failing.
“I'm thinking about my wife, I'm thinking about my children, I'm thinking about whether or not I'm going to leave the hospital,” said Morganroth.
He was offered OKT3, a silver bullet medication to take him out of rejection, but this wonder drug can only be used once if he goes through rejection with a new heart. it cannot be used to save him again.
They opt for high doses of other drugs to get him out of rejection.
“I pulled my chart, and it said terminal and I called my wife and told her it said terminal. I started to choke up,” said Morganroth.
After the 2nd transplant, he was in rejection, and they needed that wonder drug to save him. Now in his late 30's it worked.
“And your baby girl who's only six is saying, ‘Daddy I want to be a doctor.” Yeah, I want to take care of you and take care of other people like you,” said Clifford.
“And she meant it because she's going to med school. She's been accepted to several med schools,” said Morganroth.
“What has this journey been like for you and your kids?” asked Clifford.
“Overall, we're just grateful to have him and to have him doing so well,” said Andrea Morganroth.
Erik is just thankful for his care, for his family, and his third chance at life.
“I look forward to every birthday because every birthday means I've survived another year,” said Morganroth.
Today their family believes in promoting organ donation.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the American Heart Association. On May 5, the 2024 Washtenaw County Heart and Stroke Walk & 5Kwill be held at Washtenaw Community College.
The American Heart Association encourages you to talk to your family about organ donation.
