Melvin Protzman embraces Mary Grace Hensell, whose son is the donor who gave Protzman a new heart. Submitted photo

Although Mary Grace Hensell’s son, Brian Hensell, died in 2011 at the age of 24, she still can hear his heart beat whenever she visits Melvin Protzman.

Protzman, 70, of Summit Township, was two years into the waiting list for a heart transplant in March 2011 when Allegheny General Hospital called to say they found a match for him. He received his new heart on April 1, 2011, and was tracked down several months later by Hensell.

Protzman, who carries a permanent reminder of Brian Hensell via his heart, he said he will never forget an early interaction he had with his mother.

“She asked ‘can I listen to my son's heart,’ so I pulled my shirt down. She put her head on my heart, and I could feel the tears running down,” Protzman said. “She said, ‘Mel, I don't want my son forgotten.’ I said I promise I will not let your son be forgotten.”

Protzman said that he never will forget the contribution of Brian Hensell, an organ donor, as he shares his story to promote the need for organ donation every April, National Donate Life Month.

“In 2007, I ended up on the transplant list at Allegheny General,” Protzman said. “They told me I had five years with my heart; they told me it was a two-year wait.

“It gave me a whole new outlook on life, too. It's hard to explain how it changed my attitude on things. I decided to give back.”

Katelynn Metz, communications and marketing coordinator for the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), said more than 100,000 people nationwide are waiting for an organ transplant. The organization promotes the need for people to sign up to be organ donors, because more people are eligible to donate than are aware of the need.

“To be a living donor, you have to be healthy. No one would ever jeopardize the health of a living person to be a donor,” Metz said. “You can have basically any health condition and still be a donor after you pass away.

“You're more likely to need an organ donor than you are to give.”

A majority of the people on the national organ waiting list are in need of a kidney, Metz said. While CORE asks that people designate themselves as organ donors on their driver’s license, Metz said the organization also promotes the ability for people to be living organ donors.

“While still living you can give a portion of your liver, and it's cool because your liver regenerates, and you can give one of your kidneys,” she said. “There is no cost barrier, it doesn't cost you anything to be an organ donor. People think they're too sick or too old, but a third of all organ donors every year are over 55.”

Metz also said the number of registered organ donors in Pennsylvania is below the national average, but Butler County is one of the higher registered counties in the state.

“Donation doesn't just give hope, it also gives the donor a lasting legacy,” Metz said. “I really encourage people to do it; it's a really incredible gift.”

Melvin Protzman

Protzman said he felt like he was having a heart attack when he heard the news that Allegheny General had a heart that he could receive by transplant.

He recalled a humorous moment from when he went to the hospital with his daughter and family for the surgery.

“They told the family it was a 10-hour operation. (The doctor) came out three hours later, and they thought I passed away,” Protzman said. “He said everything went so well; he's in recovery.”

The new heart not only made Protzman feel better physically, he said it also gave him a new outlook on life that has not diminished in the 12 years since the transplant. Part of his drive is a result of meeting the mother of his donor, who he still is in constant communication with.

“When I first met (Mary Grace Hensell), she stood up and we hugged and cried. It changed me,” Protzman said.

Protzman also recently had a kidney transplant that rectified another health issue he had been suffering from. He hasn’t met the person who donated the kidney, but according to Metz, many people donate their liver or kidney anonymously.

“There are altruistic living donors who decide they want to give, and we decide who the best match is across the country,” Metz said. “It involves a lot of testing to make sure the donor is healthy enough to be a donor, as well as just making sure that any donation will be successful.”

Protzman is a registered organ donor and said he hopes to give people on the waiting list hope that they can receive the transplant they need.

“I'm still an organ donor. There's other things they can use on me,” Protzman said. “You wouldn't believe how many people in my family became organ donors when I got my heart.”

For information on becoming an organ donor, visit core.org.