Amy Silverstein got her first heart transplant when she was twenty-four years old. That heart lasted almost twice as long as doctors anticipated, but by the time she was fifty it had begun to fail.
She debated whether a second transplant, and all that it required, was worthwhile. She had already beaten the odds once and, during that time, attended law school, married her husband, and raised her son. And the most likely option for a successful second transplant involved leaving New York and moving to Los Angeles.
As Silverstein debated whether or not to wait for a new match, her friends refused to take no for an answer. They drew up spreadsheets, collected decorations, and organized their schedules so that they could effectively move with Silverstein to Los Angeles while she needed to be there. Her new book,“My Glory Was I Had Such Friends: A Memoir,” tells the story of how these friendships saved her life as she waited for (and finally got) a match.
AirTalk sits down with Silverstein to discuss her experiences as a patient and the influences of her friends along the way.
Guest:
Amy Silverstein, author of the new book, “My Glory Was I Had Such Friends” (HarperCollins, 2017)