Three women who received life-saving heart transplants have donated their own diseased hearts to medical research, with the organs now being used in landmark studies that could bring scientists closer to a cure for heart failure. Katie James, Kara Terol and Hannah Sharma each underwent transplants before the age of 35 and have spoken publicly about their decision to give their old hearts to science.
The donors
Hannah Sharma, now 35, was 28 when she had her transplant – the youngest of the three. An events manager from Hadlow Down in Sussex, she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart’s main pumping chamber stretches and thins, making it harder to pump blood effectively. The condition is believed to have been triggered by a virus. “That heart wasn’t what makes me ‘me’, and I was happy to give it to scientists who needed it,” she said. “I just hope it can help others, so that fewer transplants are needed in the future.”
Kara Terol, now 38, was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy – where part of the heart becomes stiff – during pregnancy. She had experienced symptoms for years but put them down to asthma. Her son George was born in 2018, but three years later she was told the strain on her lungs meant she needed a new heart. “The donor who gave me my heart helped me more than anyone ever could, and so I wanted to pass that help on with my own heart,” she said.
Katie James received her transplant a decade ago at the age of 32. She had been diagnosed with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy when she was just 20 – a rare genetic condition that causes the heart muscle to weaken because the heart cells do not stick together properly. Now 41, she said: “I had absolutely no hesitation about donating my heart to help advance medical knowledge. It is simple – I wouldn’t be here without science and research, so it is the least I can offer. I didn’t say no to donating my heart, and I don’t say no to very much now. As I tell people, you only live once – or you only live twice, as I feel I have done after getting my new heart.”
How the hearts are advancing research
Tissue from all three women’s hearts has been used in a major heart failure study at Imperial College London, funded by the British Heart Foundation. The research focuses on a protein called SERCA, which is lacking in people with heart failure – causing the heart to beat more weakly. Scientists working on the project were able to add the protein back into heart cells provided by living donors, making them beat more strongly in a lab dish. If the findings can be replicated in humans, it could pave the way for treatments that reduce symptoms such as tiredness and breathlessness. A new study, also funded by the British Heart Foundation and taking place at Imperial College London and Royal Brompton Hospital, will test a gene therapy designed to deliver the SERCA2a protein directly to heart cells. The approach builds on more than two decades of research into the protein’s role in heart muscle contraction.
The hearts of Ms Sharma and Ms James have also helped Imperial College London scientists move closer to creating lab-grown heart valves. Current options for patients are limited: mechanical replacements require lifelong drugs to prevent clotting, while biological valves made from animal tissue typically fail within 10 to 15 years. Researchers are also exploring the possibility of growing heart valves from stem cells, which could provide personalised replacements that last much longer.
Elsewhere, tissue from the hearts of Ms Terol and Ms James has been studied to understand how cardiomyopathy disrupts the organ’s normal electrical signals. By identifying the specific damaged cells that cause the most disruption, researchers hope to develop more targeted treatments for the disease.
‘Extraordinary living heart donors’
Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, praised the women’s contributions. “Giving the gift of an organ donation is an incredible act, and yet we rarely talk about the extraordinary living heart donors,” he said. “Their decision to donate their heart for research opens the door to discoveries that can only be made through examination of real human tissue, allowing researchers to identify the cause of heart diseases, test new ideas and refine treatments. We cannot thank these people enough for the vital part they play in driving scientific innovation and progress.”
Dr Najma Latif, who has led the lab-grown valve research, said: “These people make discoveries possible that would otherwise never be achieved, which can transform the lives of others.”
The Heart, Lung and Critical Care Biobank at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals oversees the storage of tissue from heart donors. Its manager, Harshil Bhayani, said: “These contributions are more than samples – they represent a lasting legacy that supports progress in research and benefits future generations.”