Dan Christ survived a heart transplant in 2023 and is now living his life to the fullest while encouraging others to become organ donors.
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — A Coeur d’Alene man is celebrating Men’s Health Month as he recovers from a life-threatening condition that left him needing a new heart.
Dan Christ is a father of three and has lived in Coeur d’Alene for more than 20 years.
“I enjoy cycling and running and swimming, my wife and I really enjoy walking by the lake and hiking and just taking advantage of everything CDA and North Idaho has to offer,” said Christ.
In 2023, Dan’s life came to a sudden halt when shortness of breath spiraled into something life-threatening.
“Well, what happened, we discovered very quickly, my resting heart rate was 170,” said Christ.
The American Heart Association says the target heart rate for healthy adults is 60 to 100 beats per minute. Dan was later diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis, a rare inflammatory disease that increases the risk of cardiac arrest.
“Cardiac sarcoidosis forms…which scars the heart. That interrupts electrical patterns from firing correctly, which controls your heart rate,” said Christ.
Dan and his wife, Nicole, endured three long and difficult years of doctor’s appointments, medications, and even six months of Dan living at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
“Navigating work, and how often do I see him…and wanting to make it normal for a child that’s still at home, and then helping our two young-adult children who were not at home, navigating all their feelings and emotions,” said Nicole Christ.
After years of waiting, Dan received the life-changing news that he had a match.
“I just knew in that moment, even before he put his two thumb, I knew what it meant. Of course I just lost it,” said Dan. “I was acutely aware, the only reason I had a chance at life was someone’s life ended and their family was grieving their loss.”
Now, Dan is hoping his story and the life he can now look forward to will inspire people to consider becoming organ donors.
LifeCenter Northwest, the organization that helped Dan find his heart donor, says over 100,000 people need transplants each year across the U.S., but only about 40,000 organs are recovered, leaving a major gap.
“I’m just, again, super grateful I’m alive and we can enjoy the things we have always enjoyed…and it’s made all the difference,” said Dan.