Back in 1985, Tony Shepard was 16 years old and dying.
"That's supposed to be the prime of your life. I was fighting for mine," he said Saturday. "But I wasn't scared. I figured I'd better give it a shot -- or die trying."Fifteen years later, he enjoys an active life hunting, fishing, racing snowmobiles and caring for his 18-month-old son. His wife is pregnant with their second child.
More than 717 heart transplants later, the 15-year-old Utah Cardiac Transplant Program celebrated its successes Saturday at the Little America hotel with a party attended by participants in the program.
The Utah Cardiac Transplant Program joined a group of 66 hospitals that offered heart transplants in the United States in 1985. Now there are 156 programs nationally, with the Utah program considered one of the best and largest in the world.
The one-year survival rate for patients receiving heart transplants in Utah is 86 percent, according to Dr. David Taylor, the program's director. The international one-year survival average is 81 percent.
The 10-year survival rate for patients receiving heart transplants in Utah is 54 percent.
Taylor attributes the program's success to the unity between the participating hospitals that "put aside their pride" to work together: LDS, Primary Children's Medical Center, University Hospital and the VA Medical Center.
"Rather than forming three or four competitive programs, a single program was developed that operates out of different hospitals," Taylor said.
Out of the 717 transplants, 246 were performed at University Hospital, 228 at LDS Hospital, 197 at the VA Medical Center and 46 at Primary Children's.
"That clearly puts it, number-wise, one of the largest in the world," he said.
Taylor said the Utah program accepts patients rejected by other hospitals in the United States because their condition is considered "high-risk" by medical professionals.
Although physicians involved in the Utah Cardiac Transplant Program are proud of its 15 years, Dr. Dale Renlund of LDS Hospital said they aren't satisfied with the survival statistics.
"We're not going to be satisfied until it's perfect," Renlund said.
Families of donors were also invited to the celebration.
"Without the donors, we wouldn't be here today," Dr. A. Kfoury of the VA Medical Center said.
Over 70 percent of the hearts have come from donors who lived in Utah and southern Idaho. The others came from nearby Western states. Taylor said doctors have a four-hour window to transplant a heart from one person to another.
Physicians, staff and administrators attended the party, as well as survivors of the transplants and their families.
"We really admire the courage these patients have demonstrated," Renlund said.
Colleen Hart's husband, Sam, was the 11th patient to receive a heart transplant in Utah. He was the first at LDS Hospital.
"Fifteen years ago, I would have been a widow. My life would have been much, much different," she said.
"I think the second time around, you really know how fragile life is."