02/14/2025
❤ This Valentine’s Day and National Donor Day, we’re sharing the story of a heart transplant that offered HCA Healthcare patient Danny Tucker a new lease on life and love. Through Danny’s journey of seeking lifesaving heart care, he found a lifelong partner in HCA Florida Healthcare nurse Marisa Thompson.
At 21 years old, Danny began experiencing severe chest pain and sought emergency medical attention. His medical team discovered Danny was facing complete organ failure. Marisa, a family friend of Danny’s and an HCA Florida Trinity Hospital nurse, was looped into Tucker’s health situation and immediately became an advocate for hope and a strong proponent for seeking a second opinion. Her research and knowledge of HCA Healthcare’s collaborative network of expert care led her to HCA Florida Largo Hospital’s Advanced Heart Failure Center, where Danny was quickly accepted as a patient. The team immediately began to explore his treatment options.
Once admitted, Danny’s heart failure team recommended a wearable cardiac defibrillator as a precautionary measure should he suddenly go into cardiac arrest. He also received a portable IV pump and infusion to help his heart pump stronger, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This would ultimately serve as the bridge to his heart transplant. Marisa was there every step of the way. Soon after discharge, Danny asked Marisa to a lunch date to thank her and their love story began.
Danny was on the heart transplant waiting list for less than three months before receiving his new heart in 2022 at HCA Florida Largo Hospital, one of nine HCA Healthcare transplant hospitals. In 2024, Danny proposed to Marisa, and the couple has plans to get married in April 2025, during Donate Life Month.
“Since this all happened, even though it was terrifying, it changed everything about my life,” Danny shared. “Half because I met someone who pushes me to be a better version of myself every day, and half because I know that someone else made the selfless decision to donate organs for a total stranger. My donor and their family deserve a legacy of kindness and strength. [HCA Florida] Largo’s team is a family, when they tell you they care they mean it. They’ll do everything they can to give you the best possible outcome.”
Learn more about how Danny’s heart transplant journey brought the couple together: https://bit.ly/3CSJ6A0.