GRAFTON, Wis. — A Grafton runner continues to beat the odds on Valentine's Day, one year after receiving a heart transplant.
Derek Lindstrom has been running for nearly five decades. His résumé includes participating in more than 100 marathons and numerous other races across the country. Hardly anything can stop him from getting his daily 10,000 steps in—not Wednesday's snowstorm nor a medical diagnosis.
Derek shared his story with TMJ4 News this week, during National Heart Month, to encourage others to keep their bodies and hearts healthy.
In 2018, doctors diagnosed Lindstrom with congestive heart failure. He needed a heart transplant, but it would take some time before he could get on the list. In the meantime, he did what he could to keep running and working out.
“I can tell you every single race associated with every medal," Lindstrom said. "After going through a heart transplant, I'm not sure what's going to be hard anymore."
In late 2023, doctors at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin performed the transplant. He refused to be wheeled into the operating room, opting instead to walk there himself.
Watch: Runner beats odds, runs marathon one year after heart transplant
“I walked to the OR to get my heart transplant," Lindstrom said. "I think a lot of that is just a mindset.”
That mindset continued after the operation. Late last year, he ran his first marathon post-transplant—less than a year after his surgery.
Dr. Rajakrishnan Vijayakrishnan, FACC, was one of the cardiologists on Lindstrom's care team. Vijayakrishnan said Lindstrom was the model patient who worked extremely hard to achieve his goals.
“Really proud of him to be part of his team," Vijayakrishnan said. “None of us are getting younger. We are all getting older, so we need to be careful about being active as much as possible.”
Derek is looking forward to running many more races in the future. He is also a race director for races in Ozaukee County. He is currently planning the Grafton Lucky 5K. That race takes place Saturday, March 15.
National Donor Day is celebrated every year on Valentine's Day, February 14. Acording to Froedtert and MCW, more than 1,400 people in Wisconsin still need organ transplants.
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