Man Quits Smoking, Gets Heart Transplant
The first person in the United States to get a revolutionary heart pump has gotten a long-needed heart transplant after finally convincing doctors he had stopped smoking.
Officials at Hershey Medical Center said Gayle Snider, 36, of West York, received the heart of a 24-year-old man. Snider was in critical condition after the operation, a hospital official said.
Snider had needed a transplant since 1996, when his heart was severely damaged by an unknown condition. But for years, he was ineligible for a transplant because he smoked.
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