Meet 4 Northeast Ohio Transplant Recipients Who Are Living Their Second Chance at Life

Johanna Henz

2x Double Lung Transplant Recipient, 51, Beachwood

Her Story: Johanna Henz was diagnosed with a form of leukemia in October 2015 and received her first transplant, a bone marrow transplant, in December 2017. In May, with causes unknown, she was diagnosed with pneumonia, which completely shut her lungs down. For about two months on life support in the ICU, doctors were aiming to give Henz some quality of life, assuming that another transplant would be too dangerous after already receiving one, and would ultimately hurt more than it would help. As things got worse, Henz was put at the top of the transplant wait list and received new lungs within five days. Those lungs were perfect for about four years, until she started experiencing some acid reflux and her breathing score declined, all signs pointing to chronic rejection. In September 2023, Henz received a second set of new lungs.

Recovery: Henz was graced with a smooth recovery the second time around. The first time, she had spent so much time in the ICU that she had to relearn how to walk, and that made the process feel long and grueling. The second time, she was prepared. It only took her around three months. Now, with anti-rejection drugs keeping her immune system at about 50%, she remains cautious during flu season and stays away from situations that require close quarters with others, but she has found ways to accommodate those needs and continue doing what she loves.  

Glass Overflowing Attitude: Keeping herself positive through a plethora of health struggles was not a problem for Henz. Sure, the negative thoughts crept in, but she maintained a no-quit attitude. To this day, she buys her license plates two to five years at a time instead of the cheaper, short-term options, with the mission of outliving them. “I know I’m gonna be pissed cause I have to buy it again in five years and it’s more expensive, but I’ll be here to do it,” she says.

Today: Henz fills her extra time doing the things that keep her calm and happy. She volunteers, plays in an orchestra, takes walks and reads. “I think my quality of life is outstanding,” she says, “because I’m here.”

Tom Sonneborn

Heart Transplant Recipient, 71, Parma

His Story: In March 2015, Tom Sonneborn had gone out for one of his usual runs. He quickly began to feel like something wasn’t right; he couldn’t run as far and felt much more out of breath than usual. Initially, he chalked this up to his age and the remnants of winter in the air, but as it persisted, he decided to see a cardiologist. There, he found out that his ejection fraction (the percentage of blood being pumped with each heartbeat) was dropping to concerning levels. A number that is supposed to stay near 55-70 had gone down to 45 … then 10 … then 5. He ended up in the hospital three times. In October 2016 and in May 2017, he was able to leave the hospital on medication. But in November 2017, his heart was failing, and he could no longer live outside of the hospital. Luckily, he had been put on the transplant list as a precautionary measure a month before that, but he was now a top priority. So, he was admitted into the hospital on Nov. 12, and he received his heart 12 days later. 

Causes: Doctors told Sonneborn that what he had was viral. After participating in a genetic study through The Ohio State University, he confirmed that there was nothing there to conclude that it could have been genetic. “I was healthy one day, and then I wasn’t,” Sonneborn says. 

Lucky Match: Sonneborn was able to receive his new heart incredibly quickly. Being such a high priority does help with this process, but many people end up waiting much longer. “I was pretty lucky,” he says. His blood type is B+, and he happened to be the only one on the list with that blood type, so when a B+ heart was available, it was all his. Sonneborn is a smaller guy who weighs 150 pounds. Due to his small stature, he received the heart of a young boy in his transplant.

Extra Innings: “I had someone send me something afterwards that said, ‘The greatest gift you can give someone is your time,’ and I told them my time is basically extra innings, cause if it wasn’t for us getting the heart, we wouldn’t be here to do this,” he says. “Being able to volunteer is a perk, it’s time we get to have.” Sonneborn was patient No. 1,850 to receive a heart at Cleveland Clinic. He uses that number for his license plate, but tells other patients not to bet their own number on the lottery. “You already won the lottery,” he says.

Chelsey Kimmich

Heart Transplant Recipient, 36, Marietta

Her Story: In the summer of 2023, Chelsey Kimmich’s husband, Jim, had bronchitis. So, naturally, as Chelsey began feeling sick, they assumed she had caught what Jim had. Symptoms only got worse until Chelsey couldn’t even keep water down. An emergency room visit became a transfer to University Hospitals, where they were told that Chelsey was in heart failure. At the age of 32, Chelsey was wearing a LifeVest, a wearable Cardiovascular Defibrillator that continuously monitors the wearer’s heart rate and delivers a shock if life-threatening rhythm changes occur. When her LifeVest eventually went off the night of Oct. 17, Kimmich went back to UH and underwent a week of tests before being added to the transplant list. Kimmich received her new heart at the age of 33 on Dec. 23, 2023. 

Keeping a Level Head: With no family history of heart issues, and being in her early 30s, the string of medical events came as a shock to Kimmich. During it all, she and her husband agreed to receive the news from the doctors in the morning, and then take a few hours to themselves to freely feel any of the emotions that came with the medical updates. “Then, when the doctors came back to do rounds, our thoughts were clear, and we could ask questions about what they told us,” she says. 

Discoveries: It turns out that Kimmich suffers from Torsades de Pointes, which is a disturbance in the heart’s rhythm, showing more of a curve or twist pattern on an EKG as opposed to the usual spikes. She also has very low magnesium levels, causing her to need magnesium drips, and Long QT Syndrome, which means that the electrical system in the lower chambers of her heart takes a longer-than-average amount of time to recharge between beats. 

Recovery: Kimmich was discharged from the hospital on Jan. 8, 2024. “It was actually alarmingly easy for me [to recover]. I feel like it also helped having such a good support system within the hospital,” she says. She explains that she still has to be cautious and aware of her body. When she begins to feel her magnesium dropping, she goes in for a magnesium drip. Heat tends to make her dizzy, so before a shower, for example, she makes sure her husband is home. The lifestyle adjustments have been manageable.

Today: Kimmich still has her old heart in a jar; she enjoys participating in events with the American Heart Association, and she is still in a group chat with other patients who received transplants in the same week as her. “We are all buddies,” she says. “It was a blessing, and we are all so grateful.

Pierre Mays

Heart Transplant, 60, Akron

His Story: Having experienced health issues his whole life, Pierre Mays was frequently receiving tests and physical evaluations from doctors. He had a heart murmur, so he had always needed extra checks before participation in sports as a kid, but nothing ever hindered him from doing the things he loved. In 2011, however, things quickly got much more serious. Before an operation for a hernia, doctors required Mays to have his heart checked out to ensure stability for the procedure. It was there that they found out Mays was in congestive heart failure. Initially, he was functional with medicine and exercise. But things continued to get worse until around 2017. “That’s when the bottom fell out,” he says. His heart condition had gotten so poor that he was homebound, sitting in a reclining chair for the majority of his day. On Nov. 30, 2021, doctors concluded that he needed a Left Ventricular Assist Device to help his heart circulate blood. The following September, as the LVAD’s help was no longer sufficient for Mays. He ended up staying at University Hospitals, and in October, he was placed on the transplant list. He received care at the hospital for a couple of years before receiving a heart on Jan. 6, 2024. “I always say that I have three birthdays,” he says. “My real birthday, the day I got the LVAD, and the day I got my new heart.”

Recovery: The first year after his transplant, Mays wasn’t able to do much. He suffered extreme neuropathy in both of his legs, and much of his time was spent on therapy and medicine. But, beginning in December 2024, “everything began to change.” He was accepted into Ohio Media School in December 2024. He has graduated from four of their courses and has seen his health improve.

Today: Through over a decade of sickness and pain, Mays kept himself positive. He speaks about the importance of patience and prayer through it all, highlighting his prayer group with members across the globe who actively reached out to him during his extensive time spent in the hospital. “I thank God for the life I’ve lived,” he says. “I am the most blessed man in the universe. I need to get that on Wikipedia with a picture of me, because it’s the truth.”

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