Piedmont Rockdale hosts heart transplant patient reunion for National Donate Life Month
Conyers, Ga. (April 16, 2026) – On April 2, Piedmont Heart of Rockdale hosted a special reunion with two heart transplant patients who have formed a very special bond and the healthcare team that helped save their lives.
Gabriela Mayorga, a lifelong athlete and mother of two, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2017 at age 53. By April 2024, she was preparing for the worst. Her Piedmont Heart of Rockdale cardiologist, Rajeev Singh, MD, encouraged her to keep fighting and consider a heart transplant. Just 12 hours after being placed on the transplant waitlist, a donor heart became available and Mayorga underwent surgery at Piedmont Atlanta the next day.
During her recovery, Mayorga felt called to help others facing the same surgery. “I knew that God had left me here for a reason, and I wanted to give back,” she said.
Then, last June, Piedmont Heart of Rockdale Procedure Coordinator Sheri Mitchell Webb connected Mayorga to Malissa Whipple, a home health aide and mother of five who was diagnosed with heart failure in 2020 at age 41.
Mayorga’s call came at a perfect time for Whipple, who had just agreed to a transplant after a heart attack and two strokes. Whipple spent the summer at Piedmont Atlanta, waiting three months for a donor heart. After a 20-hour surgery there in September, she is now regaining her strength and feels grateful to be alive.
Throughout the entire process, Mayorga regularly checked on Whipple, offering hope, understanding, and the reassurance that she wasn’t alone. Whipple also made a point to check in with Mayorga, knowing they were both navigating the complex physical and emotional challenges of life with a donor heart.
During the recent reunion, Mayorga and Whipple reconnected with Dr. Singh and Webb, thanking them for their compassionate care. Both women expressed gratitude for the care team’s encouragement and love throughout the process.
“The only long-term solution for their heart failure was a transplant,” Dr. Singh said. “April is National Donate Life Month, which reminds us of the incredible gift of organ donation.”
Video footage of the reunion is available on FOX 5 Atlanta’s website: Heart transplant patients reunite | FOX 5 Atlanta
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