Alyssa Garrison

Abbreviations ACHD (Adult Congenital Heart Disease) AP (Agonal Period) DBD (Donation after Brain Death) DCD (Donation after Circulatory Death) DPP (Direct Procurement and Perfusion) ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) EVHP (Ex vivo heart perfusion) NRP (Normothermic Regional Perfusion) OBT (Out-of-body Time) PHM (Predicted Heart Mass (ratio)) PSM (Propensity Score Matching) UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) VAD (Ventricular Assist Device) WLST (Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining...

It’s been a year since Jonnie and I said “I do” amongst our nearest and dearest in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, and despite all of the trials and tribulations that we’ve been through these past 365 days, thinking back to our wedding day still takes my breath away.

Just after my cesarean with Summer, knowing how disappointed I was with how things had turned out, my midwife looked me in the eyes and said “next time you’ll get the birth you wanted”. From that moment on, I had HBAC (home birth after cesarean) on my mind, and this past September, I finally got there! It was one of the most exciting, redemptive moments of my entire life, and changed my perspective on my first birth in ways I never could have expected, but most of all it gave me peace.