Amy Silverstein, a 24-year-old law student who is also an author, attorney, and speaker, discovers she has heart failure suddenly. When she underwent a transplant at the age of 25, she was incredibly fortunate to acquire a donor heart that continued to beat strongly and sustain her for almost ten years despite having the longest post-transplant life expectancy in ten years. 30 years.
Amy obtained her law degree from NYU after undergoing a kidney transplant, and she then worked as a corporate attorney before starting her literary career. She joyously gave birth to a child after marrying Scott, her great love. She quickly quit her job as a lawyer and began writing. 2007 saw the release of her debut book, Sick Girl (Grove Atlantic).
Amy’s donor heart passed away almost 26 years after her transplant due to vascular disease, an incurable condition frequently observed in long-lived transplanted hearts. Amy’s doctors in New York informed her that her only hope of survival was to go across the nation, where she could receive an experimental medication that would allow her to successfully receive a second transplant. This was because of the severity and complexity of Amy’s condition. Operation. Her heartbeat went down swiftly, but the chances of finding a suitable donor heart in time were still slim. Amy’s friends left everything to accompany her on a constant rotation to be by their side in a California ward as she and Scott boarded the plane in fearful anticipation. Amy slept alone every night for the following two and a half months while she waited for a heart donor. After a second transplant, she was able to continue her daily jogging and kettlebell workouts. Her second book, My Glory I have such a friend (HarperCollins), was likewise written by her.
Amy has lectured and published widely as a patient advocate on topics such as women’s health/resilience, the value of being fully present throughout any medical interaction, and the necessity of a patient-centered approach to healthcare. Journal articles she has written for the American Journal of Transplantation and the Journal of Transplantation Infectious Diseases are among her medical publications. She has served as an appointed representative on the boards of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, and the American Society for Transplantation.