MADISON, Wis. — The trails throughout Devil’s Lake State Park are Kortney Zblewski’s favorite places to hike, and the 30-year-old is eager to lace up her hiking boots again following the life-changing gift of a new heart and new lungs earlier this year.
“Two years ago, I had to stop doing any sort of incline because I would get so out of breath,” she said. “Even kicking a soccer ball with my son took all my energy.”
In 2013, Zblewski was diagnosed with both pulmonary hypertension, high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the walls of the heart chamber to become thicker than normal and makes it harder for the heart to pump blood. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy often runs in families, and months before her diagnosis, Zblewski’s father died at age 42 from the condition.
After consulting with doctors near her home in central Wisconsin, she continued living an active life with frequent checkups to monitor her heart and lungs. Her son was born in 2014. Raising an energetic young boy plus hiking, horseback riding and skydiving kept her busy, but Zblewski noticed a significant decline in her stamina in June 2023. She was referred to the UW Health Heart Failure Program and met with Dr. David Murray, cardiologist, UW Health.
“He was the first doctor to ever say the word ‘transplant’ to me, and while I wasn’t prepared for it, he was incredibly caring and patient with me,” she said.
With the support of her UW Health care team, she managed her conditions with both medication and holistic treatments, including acupuncture. In Fall 2024, the results of a cardiac catheterization, a procedure to examine how well the heart is working, showed her heart and lung function were quickly deteriorating. It was time for her to go on the wait list for a new heart and new lungs.
Heart-lung transplantation is a complex procedure where surgeons replace both the heart and lungs simultaneously. This requires precise coordination to preserve the major blood vessels and airways that ensure the organs function together properly, according to Murray, who is also a professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
“Although Kortney was young and active, she had reached the stage where we were unable to manage her conditions with other treatments,” he said. “Her best chance at a longer, better-quality life was a heart and lung transplant from a single donor.”
She was placed on the wait list on Oct. 10, 2024, and focused on what physical activity she could handle, including walking on a treadmill and light weightlifting. On Jan. 1, 2025, she learned she’d been matched with a donor.
“I knew it was a complicated surgery, but I had full faith in the entire team,” she said.
Dr. Yu Xia, heart and lung transplant surgeon, UW Health, and assistant professor of surgery at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, led the team that performed the surgery.
With her transplant, the UW Health Transplant Center reached the remarkable milestone of 1,000 heart transplants.
“Every transplant is life-changing for the patient and their successful recovery inspires us,” he said. “Milestones like this are a great time to celebrate everyone’s hard work and reaffirm our commitment to providing the best possible care to our patients.”
History of heart and lung transplantation at UW Health
The milestone builds on expertise pioneered more than 50 years ago, when surgeons performed the first heart transplant at University Hospital in 1973. The first lung transplant at University Hospital occurred in 1988, and a year later surgeons performed the first combined heart and lung transplant.
Since 1989, there have been just 17 heart-lung transplants in the program’s history. There are only 54 active heart-lung transplant programs in the country, and the UW Health Transplant Center is home to the only active adult heart-lung transplant program in Wisconsin, according to Dr. Dixon Kaufman, medical director, UW Health Transplant Center, and professor of surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
“Kortney’s story illustrates the life-saving gift of organ donation and the patient-centered care our transplant programs have been recognized for,” he said. “This is also an opportunity to remember the gifts from organ donors who make our work possible.”
For 36 years, the UW Health Heart Transplant Program has been a leader in heart transplantation and is among the 15% of programs nationwide to achieve the milestone of 1,000 heart transplants. The program has expanded to serve both adults and children, offering cutting-edge technology and advanced therapies while achieving one of the shortest wait times in the country. Patients benefit from a median wait time of just one month, which is far shorter than the national average of four months, according to Dr. Veli Topkara, medical director of the UW Health Heart Transplant Program and professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
“These results reflect our team’s commitment to excellence and a multidisciplinary approach to care for even the most high-risk, complex patients,” he said. “Our goal is to continuously build upon this depth of knowledge to help future patients experiencing the most serious heart conditions.”
A milestone only made possible by donor heroes
The incredible achievements of the UW Health Transplant Center would not be possible without the selfless generosity of donor families, according to Michael Anderson, executive director of UW Organ and Tissue Donation.
“We have the honor to witness the life-changing impact an organ transplant can have on a patient and their family,” he said. “It is only through the selfless decision of our donor heroes and their families that we can serve patients, and we encourage more people to register as an organ and tissue donor.”
Currently, there are more than 100,000 adults and children awaiting organ transplants in the United States, including more than 1,400 people in Wisconsin and 4,000 people in Illinois, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. A new person is added to the national transplant waiting list every eight minutes, while the process to register as an organ donor takes less than a minute. A single organ donor can save up to eight lives. while a single tissue donor can help more than 75 people. A crucial part of the registration process is telling your loved ones about your decision, according to Anderson.
“Informing family and friends about your decision now can ease a burden for them later if you should ever be in a position to become a donor hero,” he said. “Our goal this month, and throughout the year, is to increase the chance that those people who are waiting for a transplant will get one.”
Hiking back to health
As she recovers at home with her hiking boots ready for their next adventure, Zblewski hopes more people will take the time to register as an organ donor.
“My donor not only gave me a second chance at life, but they also gave my son a second chance to play and enjoy life with his mom,” she said. “I hope more people waiting get the same gift our family received from my donor.”
She recently wrote a heartfelt two-page letter to the family of her donor to express her gratitude. She also let them know about the adventures she has planned thanks to their gift, including playing soccer with her son and plenty of hiking trips at Devil’s Lake with her husband and son.