Eric Peterson

Photo courtesy of the Peterson family

Eric Peterson didn't realize the gravity of his condition until he saw how many physicians huddled in his hospital room at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

The then 18-year-old from Coon Rapids, Minn., was hospitalized after a chest X-ray revealed that his heart was more than three times normal size. Peterson had felt short of breath for several months and had experienced vomiting, coughing and a fever. His hometown physician recommended that Peterson get more specialized care. Mayo Clinic was a natural choice for the family. Peterson was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 5 years old and saw a physician there who specializes in diabetes.

"I thought they might be able to give me medicine to make me better over time," says Peterson. "I was not prepared for what the doctors told me. I had no idea how bad it was. They told me I needed a new heart and would only live six to 12 months with my current heart. That blew my mind."

"Eric was a tough one to convince he had a heart problem," says Co-burn Porter, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at Mayo Clinic. "In spite of his very poor heart function, Eric would always tell us he felt fine and would be ready to leave the hospital soon. He was and still is a very strong-minded individual, which helped him tremendously in the immediate post-transplant period and the recovery phase."

Waiting for "the call"

Peterson spent 74 days in the hospital before his physicians told him he was stable enough to return home and await a suitable transplant. Several more months passed before Peterson would receive a new heart.

"I had a couple of false alarms," says Peterson. He and his family were summoned to Mayo Clinic twice for possible transplant. One night in February 2002, Peterson had a feeling before he went to bed that he would get "the call." The call came in the middle of the night, and Peterson made haste to Rochester with his parents and younger brothers, Jake and Adam. They arrived at Mayo Clinic after dawn, and Peterson was in surgery within several hours. Eight hours later, on Feb. 27, 2002, Peterson had a new heart ... and a new lease on life.

"I wasn't scared before the surgery," says Peterson. "I remember feeling the adrenaline rush of everyone scurrying around to get ready. When I woke up after surgery, I had a breathing tube in my mouth, so I couldn't talk. I wrote a note to the nurse asking what day it was.

"For a week after surgery, it was hard for me to relax or sleep or lie down," says Peterson. "I could feel my new heart beating so loudly. It was so strong compared to my old heart."

Peterson recovered in Rochester for three months at the Ronald McDonald House, accompanied by his mother.

"My energy level was much better than it had been," says Peterson. "I really noticed it when I went for walks. It made me happy to have so much energy."

Easing back into a normal life

Peterson made brief trips home to spend Easter with his family and to take a college admissions test. He returned home for good at the end of May — in time to finish the last few weeks of his senior year of high school.

"It was amazing to graduate with my class," says Peterson. "When I returned to school, there was a big welcome sign on the wall, signed by all the seniors. That meant a lot to me."

Today Peterson, now 20, is a sophomore at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, studying to become a computer/electrical engineer. He works at the college as a peer math tutor and spends his free time playing guitar, hanging out with his friends and driving his 1995 Ford Mustang-GT. He has tried to put his health ordeal behind him but is reminded of it when he takes a shower or swims.

"I have a large scar on my chest," says Peterson. "Otherwise, I don't think about it that much."

Peterson has had a more difficult time putting old friends from Mayo Clinic out of his mind.

"All the doctors and nurses were really nice," he says. "I got pretty attached to some of the staff in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The nurses and some of the secretaries became like family. When I left the hospital, I missed them for a while. The hospital had been like home, and I had a pretty good time there — considering the circumstances. I try to go back and visit them when I have checkups."

While he strives to be a regular college guy, Peterson is more careful than most. "I'm more cautious now than I would have been otherwise," he says. "I don't take a lot of risks. I realize that not everyone gets a second chance. I received a huge gift. I was very lucky to get a heart."