Buffalo woman’s journey highlights importance of organ donation
April marks National Donate Life Month, a powerful reminder of the lifesaving impact of organ donation.
Just a little over one year ago, on April 2, 2025, Denise Hermosillo received a heart transplant through organ donation.
Denise’s journey began in 2014. An active triathlete for over seven years, and in good cardiovascular health, Denise began noticing that something felt off when emerging from the water after swimming, her breathing and energy levels weren’t as strong as they usually were.
“I was competing in a triathlon in Annandale in July of 2014, and I just knew something was wrong. I was coming out of the water and felt something was off. I continued as I normally would and by time I got to my run, I basically walked the whole thing. My triathlon was on a Sunday, and by that Thursday, I was getting a pacemaker at the St. Cloud Hospital. During those four days, I was fainting and passing out, which led to having the pacemaker put in that Thursday. I found out I had 3rd degree heart block.”
Diagnosis and Treatment
Before Denise left the hospital, doctors performed a cardiac MRI. That week, she got a call as they noticed something unusual.
“I was diagnosed with a disease called cardiac sarcoidosis. Cardiac Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease where immune cells form tiny abnormal clumps called granulomas in the heart tissue. You can get it in any organ. In my case, it attacked the electrical part of my heart.
The images were sent to Mayo to get confirmation and showed that it was sarcoidosis. I met with many doctors at Mayo and went through a process of trying to determine how I got this. There is no known reason, but it could have possibly happened overseas while in the military (Denise served 12 years in the United States Army, including two tours to Kuwait and one to Iraq). It could have been something in the chemicals, burn pits, or the sandstorms, something that hit my system many years ago.”
Ultimately, the origin of disease could not be confirmed.
“There is no cure for it. I just had to be on many medications.”
Denise began to experience V-tach (Ventricular tachycardia), which caused the sarcoid to flare up. Due to V-tach, the pacemaker had to be replaced with an ICD (both pacemaker and defibrillator), which would jump start her heart back into a normal rhythm.
Once a year, the sarcoid would flare up, requiring additional surgeries–a process that went on for ten years. Throughout the entire ten years, Denise had eleven surgeries and three ablations to try and burn out the areas that were attacking the heart.
“I would have infusions done every six months. I needed additional medications. Everything was just kind of a band-aid. My last surgery was in October 2024 to repair my mitral valve and tricuspid valve as they were starting to severely leak. They tried to fix both valves but were only able to fix the mitral valve due to interactions with wires from the ICD. Basically, it came down to the doctors saying we had no more options. I needed a heart transplant. I was devastated. I never thought in a million years I would hear those two words.”
Denise was placed on the waiting list for organ donation on Dec. 31, 2024.
“At that time, I was Status 4, which meant I stayed home until they called me.”
While on the wait list, Denise had to be ready to go at a moment’s notice once she got the call that a heart was available. During the months of January and February, Denise’s medical team determined that she needed to be moved to a Status 2, which meant inpatient care in CICU, which she received at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I had one month to get all my stuff together.”
Once hospitalized in February, a heart pump was put in place.
“I was on a machine called the Impella. It was a temporary catheter-based heart pump that helped maintain blood flow to my failing heart, which was inserted into my axillary artery above my heart, which kept it pumping. I always pushed it around with me.”
Denise stayed at the hospital for about eight weeks prior to receiving the call that a heart was available for transplant on April 1, 2025. After doctors confirmed that the heart was a match, Denise underwent heart transplant surgery on April 2.
Denise’s surgery fell on a Thursday; by the following Monday, she was moved out of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and brought to the hospital’s VA care unit for recovery.
“The first few days were pretty good, but then I started experiencing a lot of pain. I had no idea what was going on.”
Doctors determined the cause of the pain was a chyle leak, creating a buildup of fluid and requiring a tube to be placed into Denise’s side to release the pressure. “I had the tube in place for three weeks.”
Denise was discharged from the hospital on May 1, 2025, one month after her transplant surgery.
Caregivers and Support
Being in a hospital five hours away from home brought with it unique challenges. Denise credits her support system for helping her through the process.
“It was a very hard time in my life, and I had no idea how I was going to get through this. I had two boys still in high school. I remember asking the doctors if I could wait until they both graduate and then get listed, and basically, they said you may not even make it to see either of them graduate if you don’t get on the list. I was slowly dying. I just cried because I couldn’t be the mom I needed to be. But that didn’t stop me from checking on their homework (laughs).
When I was able, I would continue to monitor their work and progress. My daughter took care of the home while I was gone. I am thankful she was able to monitor things at home for me. My four sisters would take turns coming every other weekend or as often as they could. Not seeing my children and my family was truly hard, but I knew I needed to get better and get home. The one thing that got me through this was my faith in God. Without him, I don’t know how I would have made it through. Every night I would pray and read devotionals or get messages from friends and just tell me to trust in the Lord. But yes, there were a lot of times I wanted to give up, but I never felt alone. The support was there. The nurses, doctors, the chaplain, anyone who would just take time to come visit. My nurses would come in and sit with me and just hold me hand and tell me it’s ok to not be ok. That really sunk in. I realized even though I was going through a lot, there are others going through worse than me and so I would just pray for all of us. It just felt better. Being there for eight weeks, and being so used to doing what I wanted to do, to now having to be controlled and only being able to do certain things at certain times, that was very hard – adjusting to a regimented routine, having to get up at 6:00 a.m., get weighed in just to move to the chair for the day, certain times to eat and to make sure I got my walks in and having to push the machine around was just very hard, but I got used to it.”
After Denise was released from the hospital on May 1, she stayed in Madison at an extended stay hotel for follow-up care, a process that lasted nearly two months. Denise’s Aunt Sue drove in from Florida a week after her transplant and stayed with her at the hotel.
“If it were not for my aunt, this would not have been possible, as one of the requirements for transplant is to have someone to care for you until you are released for good. She was my saving grace, and I am so thankful I had her to help with all my appointments and after-care.”
“My biggest goal was to make it home for my son, Joey’s graduation on June 5. I feel like everything was God’s timing. I got the transplant when I needed it. I made it home on time for my son’s graduation. I had to go back to finish up my rehab, but I got to go home the weekend of graduation. I was finally home for good on June 26.”
On August 11, Denise achieved another milestone in her journey, returning to work at Gentz Financial, in Buffalo, where she’s been employed for nearly 20 years.
“Nyles (Gentz), and his wife, Helane, have been wonderful, along with my co-workers, and so many clients who have been strong supports throughout. My boss has been a big part of my life for close to 20 years and has stuck by me through all my heart issues. He is a super-duper boss, and I am so thankful and grateful that I have an employer who stood by me the whole way.”
Denise thanks her sisters Deana, Devonne, Diana, and Lori, along with her children Jasmine, Joey, and Jake for supporting her along her journey.
“I am so glad to be home now, and I will be able to see my youngest, Jake, graduate this June. There were so many people who helped along the way. My surgeon, all the doctors and nurses, my church family, my wonderful friends, my transplant coordinator, our clients, just so many people. I’m so grateful for all of them.”
Organ Donation Awareness
April serves as National Donate Life Month, with a goal of raising awareness for organ donation registration.
“Donor awareness is huge,” stated Denise. “People don’t think about it at the time. They don’t realize how wonderful it is and that it helps others live.”
Denise has written a letter through the United Network Organ Donation System, which is sent to the family of the organ donor. It is ultimately up to the family to choose if they wish to write back.
“What I really struggle with up to this day, is knowing that someone had to pass away for me to be able to live. I am very grateful to the donor and the family. I want to honor their loved one’s legacy and life. Hopefully, one day, I will be able to meet the family. I would like to be able to find out who that person was and know about them. If there’s something that I could do to carry out their wishes, it would be such an honor.”
Today, Denise feels thankful to have attended her children’s graduations, be back at work, and back to doing the activities she loves, including swimming and running. On April 12, Denise will participate in a 5K in Minneapolis.
“I am truly grateful for all the people who supported me. I am forever grateful for my donor and their family; without them, none of this would have happened. I’m very grateful to have a second chance at life.”
Last week, on the one-year anniversary of her transplant, Denise marked the milestone by ringing the transplant bell alongside her medical team. More than 30 people attended the celebration, including another transplant recipient who’s transplant date was April 1, 2025, and has since become a lifelong friend. Together, they honored the occasion and the journey they’ve both endured. Today, Denise celebrates with no signs of rejection, and her new heart continues to beat strong.
