CHICAGO — A year after undergoing a rare and complex double organ transplant, Laura Valentine is not only surviving — she’s thriving.
The 39-year-old Chicagoan marked the anniversary of her heart and liver transplant earlier this month by climbing 1,632 stairs at the former John Hancock Center. That milestone came just months after Valentine received new organs that changed — and saved — her life.
“You feel looser. You feel freer when you get to that year mark,” she told CBS Chicago.
A Life of Complications from Birth
Valentine was born with congenital heart defects, including a single heart ventricle, which made pumping oxygenated blood nearly impossible. She also had situs inversus, a rare condition where organs are reversed inside the body — her heart on the right, liver on the left.
Despite early heart surgery at under 2 years old, she lived a remarkably active life — swimming, riding horses, becoming a mother, and working in education. But things took a turn in 2023 when she began experiencing silent atrial fibrillation, which led to organ damage and eventual liver failure.
By December 2023, she knew she needed both a new heart and a new liver.
A Groundbreaking Surgery at UChicago Medicine
Doctors at UChicago Medicine — including renowned transplant surgeon Dr. Valluvan Jeevanandam — used 3D modeling to plan out the dual transplant. They rerouted vessels and reconfigured her anatomy to successfully transplant the organs in a 20-hour operation in June 2024.
“She is really, really special,” said Dr. Jeevanandam. “She willed herself through the surgery and now she’s willing herself to a fantastic life.”
A Message of Resilience and Advocacy
Less than six months after the surgery, Valentine trained to participate in Hustle Chicago, a charity stair climb to support lung disease research. She finished the race with her fiancé and a Celine Dion playlist in her ears.
Now, her mission is clear: promote organ donation and show others what’s possible through resilience and advanced medical care.
“I’m a mirror image of you,” Valentine once explained of her reversed anatomy. “If we were to hug, our hearts would essentially be touching.”
Have you or someone you love faced a medical journey like Laura’s? Share your story with us at ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com and help amplify voices of strength across Illinois.
