Heart Transplant Recipient Jack Kachmarik Figuring What To Do With His Life
(Harlan Spector, Plain Dealer Reporter) The doctors at University Hospitals have never seen a patient like Jack Kachmarik. He arrived by helicopter the night of Sunday, May 31. It was unusual enough to see a 19-year-old having a major stroke. But for Jack to say his name and lift his right arm within minutes after blood clots were cleared from his cerebral arteries, that was remarkable. Doctors told Jack's mother that his recovery was like a miracle. Nancy Kachmarik thought how lucky they were to dodge catastrophe. Had they not fished out the clots, Jack would be dead or paralyzed.
The lingering question was, why does a 19-year-old have a stroke?
Soon, Nancy learned the stroke was a symptom of a bigger problem. Jack needed a new heart.
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