Hailey Steimel: Embracing the Community

Hailey Steimel stands at the forefront of change in the organ donation community where she tells her story in an effort to advocate for organ donation. Steimel’s organ transplant journey was one that was both physically and mentally demanding, but her heart transplantation left her stronger and let her embrace a community that supported experiences just like hers.

Steimel’s story started when she was born with a rare heart defect called transposition of the great arteries. This defect causes the aorta and pulmonary artery in the heart to be  reversed, which results in a discrepancy in the blood circulation of the body. As a result of this defect, Steimel was made aware that she needed a heart transplant at the age of sixteen and had to wait six months to be placed on the heart transplant list. After an incident where her heart began to fail, Steimel received her long awaited transplant that saved her life. Although the procedure followed with a few complications, Steimel’s medical team did everything in their power to help Steimel.

Following her procedures, Steimel tells her story in hopes of encouraging others to sign up as organ donors whilst educating them on the topic. Steimel steps up and volunteers with several organizations that support the cause and vocalizes her support for the cause. To read more about Hailey Steimel’s inspirational story, take a look at Brenda Cortez’s book Because of Organ Donation: A Collection of Inspiring Stories Celebrating the Gift of Life, in which Steimel is a featured author.