by Janice Gibbs

Think Valentine’s, and flowers and hearts of the greeting card kind come to mind.

When Grady Dozier, 70, of Killeen thinks about a heart, it’s a bit more functional - it’s a muscle that pumps blood throughout his body and will have extended his life by 25 years on Monday, the anniversary of his heart transplant.

His heart had originally belonged to a 22-year-old man in New Mexico, who died in a motorcycle accident.

At the time of the accident, Dozier, a real estate developer in the Dallas area, was in Tucson, Ariz., at University of Arizona Health Science Center. He had been sent there by his doctors at Baylor Hospital in Dallas in hopes that he would be a candidate for a heart transplant.

Dozier was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy in 1976 when he was 37 years old. His heart had become enormous and he was told he probably had only a few months to live.

As luck would have it, Dozier was put on some medications that stabilized his heart for about 7½ years. That luck ran out on Dec. 23, 1983. He became very ill and was told he needed to be at a heart transplant center.

In 1983, heart transplants were performed at only four medical centers - Stanford University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Virginia and University of Arizona. Today, more than 200 hospitals perform the procedure.

Dozier selected Arizona because it had the longest survival rate for heart transplant patients. He was put on the transplant waiting list in January 1984 and received a heart on Feb. 16, 1984.

The outcome, Dozier said, was extraordinary. There was no rejection and no infections.

“You go in and you’re nearly dead … it was a real struggle just to walk to the bathroom,” he said. “With that powerful heart it was remarkable to have that kind of energy. I was like a young man again.”

The second day after the transplant Dozier was on a bicycle and on the third day he was on a treadmill for a stress test.

“I was concerned about the stitches, afraid they wouldn’t hold, ” he said.

Dozier’s recovery was equally amazing.

He was told he would be in the hospital for at least six weeks following the surgery and once released, he would have to stay in Tucson for at least six months.

Dozier left the hospital in 19 days and after six weeks in a Tucson apartment, he talked his doctors into letting him return to Texas, with the promise he would fly back each week for his Friday appointment.

The doctors agreed, he said, because his recovery had been such a success.

Prior to November 1983, surviving for very long after a heart transplant was unlikely because of rejection. In November 1983 the FDA approved cyclosporine for general use, and it worked much better than other immunosupressive medicines.

Dozier said he would recommend to anyone who is going to have a heart transplant to have a baby - it’s a reason to get well fast.

At the time of his surgery, Dozier had three daughters, Bonita, 17, Mitzie, 13, and Natalie, six months old.

Getting his daughters through college and raising a baby was a great motivator.

“I didn’t care about me, I had children,” he said.

Dozier said he feels good, but he is on dialysis because cyclosporine is harsh on the kidneys. Most transplant patients have to go on dialysis or get into a kidney transplant program after about 10 years.

“There’s no way to know how much longer I will live, but the heart is the strongest link,” Dozier said. “People can live for years on dialysis.”

Dozier goes in for dialysis three times a week for four hours.

“It’s not that bad, I read and on Saturdays I watch sports,” he said. “ I sometimes take a nap.

“I’ve been very fortunate and I don’t take credit for my success,” he said. “My Creator allowed it to happen.”

Brilliant doctors in Tucson and Dallas also played a major role, he said.

Also, his children have given him great joy.

Dozier has six grandchildren and is expecting another in May, when his oldest daughter will be able to travel to Congo to pick up her adopted baby.

“I have something else to look forward to … that’s the key,” he said. “It’s hard to leave when the music is playing.”

The experience of having a heart transplant leaves a person with the need to give back and Dozier said he’s probably given at least 100 talks about his transplant over the years.

“I’ve met quite a few donor families and I’ve never seen one who regretted it,” he said. “For most, it gave a lot of meaning to their loss, especially if they can know their loved one’s organs saved the lives of others. It’s all about making something positive out of a tragedy.”