New Hope After End-Stage Heart Failure

The power of positivity, the expertise of world-class medicine and a lifesaving gift gave Robert Frias a future with his children.

Robert had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure a decade prior and believed it to be under control. But at a routine doctor’s appointment in May 2024, that all changed. He was told he was in end-stage heart failure and needed a heart transplant.

He was taken to The University of Kansas Health System, where doctors realized Robert was too sick to survive a transplant. His organs were failing and his body was shutting down. They implanted an LVAD, a mechanical device that is often called a bridge to transplant. The heart pump would keep him alive long enough to rebuild his strength.

Robert embraced the device with positivity and perseverance. He was determined to fight for more time with his children.

“When you’re walking into your heart transplant, it is going to be a much better outcome than going in incredibly sick,” said cardiologist Hirak Shah, MD. The LVAD allowed Robert’s cardiac function to normalize, letting his organs heal and giving Robert the opportunity to get healthier.

Robert took the assignment seriously. He walked, trained and rebuilt muscle. “Through his hard work, Robert was able to restore his body to a healthier state,” Dr. Shah said.

Five months later, in the middle of the night, Robert got the call he had been waiting for. A donor heart was available. “I remember I sat on the edge of my bed before I left. I sat there going, this is really happening,” Robert said.

“We look at everything with regard to the quality of the heart, the quality of the donor, imaging and the size of the heart as it relates to the donor,” said Thoracic surgeon Tyler Zorn, MD. “We want to make sure it's going to be a good fit and work for a long time, so people like Robert live a long and healthy, prosperous life after they get their heart implant.”

Moments before surgery, Robert rallied the transplant team with a chant he once gave his son’s football team: “Just know I believe in every single one of you. Thank you for showing up for work today. Team on 3!”

A team of specialists removed Robert’s failing heart and implanted the donor heart. Thoracic surgeon Matthew Danter, MD explained that donor hearts arrive cooled and still, then “start up on their own” once blood flow is restored.

The donor was 15 year old Kaylin Hartman from Texas, a vibrant, funny, fiercely loving teenager who died unexpectedly after an allergic reaction.

Robert now wears a button with Kaylin’s photo on every jacket and shirt. “There's not a day that goes by I don't think of Kaylin or her family. I'm truly blessed beyond words to know them, and to have this opportunity to live life. Bottom line, I love you guys more than you'll ever know,” Robert said.

Months after transplant, Kaylin’s father traveled to visit Robert and listen to his daughter’s heart beating.

“The tremendous gift that the families of donors and the donors themselves are able to give to people is something that I can assure you, none of us take for granted,” Dr. Danter said. “It's absolutely certain, and it's absolutely true that that the gifts that come from that are some of the most important that we encounter.”

Today, Robert says he feels like he’s in his 20s again and urges others to talk openly about organ donation. “Be an organ donor, save a life. Make sure you express your wishes to your family and make sure it's known to everyone that you love,” Robert said.

For the physicians, Robert’s recovery is why they do this work. “These stories are the reason why we come to work every day,” Dr. Shah said.

Dr. Zorn added, “To see what good Robert is doing with his transplant should be motivating to us all.”

Watch Robert’s full story on Choices, Hope and Science

Robert Frias (Left) hugging Kaylin's father, William Hartman (Right)