During a recent follow-up at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital in Hanoi, the doctor confidently placed her hand on her left chest, feeling a strong heartbeat. Her health has improved significantly; she is no longer short of breath when walking quickly or restless at night due to arrhythmia. Returning to work at the provincial hospital, Nhi proactively took on outpatient examination duties to reduce pressure and protect her new organ. She views this heartbeat not only as sustaining her life but also as opening a new chapter for her family and medical career.

Six years prior, during her first pregnancy, she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy—a silent condition that enlarges the heart chambers and diminishes pumping function. After giving birth, the young mother embarked on a long course of medical treatment. Her on-call shifts became less frequent, and her steps grew heavier.

Doctor Phuong Nhi after her heart transplant from a brain-dead donor. *Photo: Thao My*

Eventually, a severe acute heart failure episode forced her family to rush her to Hanoi for emergency care. A team of specialists consulted and concluded that a heart transplant was her only chance for survival. "At that moment, I just wished I could live a normal life," Nhi recalled.

A miracle arrived in 1/2025 when the hospital found a suitable heart from a brain-dead donor. The surgery was successful. "Colleagues and friends call it a miracle, but for me, it is also the silent sacrifice of an unknown family—the donor's family. I know I am living a part of someone else's life. Therefore, I must live it meaningfully," she stated.

Organ transplantation is currently the only measure to preserve life for patients with end-stage organ failure. To date, Vietnam's medical sector has successfully performed thousands of transplants involving six types of human organs. The most prominent is kidney transplantation with 8,904 cases, followed by liver with 754 cases, heart with 126 cases, and lung with 13 cases. Since 2010, the system has recorded nearly 270 brain-dead organ donors. Specifically during the 2024-2025 period, thanks to effective hospital advocacy teams and more open attitudes from patients' families, the number of organ donations from brain-dead individuals nearly doubled compared to all previous years combined. This positive development has propelled Vietnam to the forefront of Southeast Asia in terms of organ transplant numbers, consistently performing over 1,000 cases annually since 2022.

Donning her white coat once more, Nhi considers each workday an act of gratitude. The new heart beating in the obstetrician's chest not only sustains her life but also allows her to continue the journey of saving lives that she nearly had to abandon.

Le Nga