Heather Arocha, Liver Transplant Recipient, 2009

In December of 2009, Heather was the sickest person on the liver waiting list. “I was really sick. I remember wondering what was going to happen to my kids.” A single mom of two boys, Heather worried about not getting a transplant in time. Her youngest son, Elijah, wrote a letter to Santa. He said he didn’t want toys that year; he just wanted his mom to get a liver. Elijah’s wish came true, and Heather received a life-saving liver transplant. She was home in time for Christmas. The transplant changed her life in more ways than one: it inspired her to go back to school and become a nurse. She passed her nursing boards and became an LVN in October, 2011. “I just want to be able to give back.”