Sister Gives $453K to Hospital That Saved Brother's Life

When Terry Tomlin received a groundbreaking heart transplant in 2015, his sister Wendy never forgot the gift of watching him live. Now she's giving back in a way that will help hundreds of other families experience that same joy.

Wendy J. Tomlin-Hess just donated $453,611 to Royal Papworth Hospital Charity in Cambridge, the largest individual gift in the charity's 30-year history. Her brother Terry was one of the first patients in Europe to receive a non-beating heart transplant, a revolutionary procedure called donation after circulatory death.

The transplant worked. Terry survived and thrived, getting years he wouldn't have had otherwise.

"We are extremely grateful to Terry's heart donor and their family, who gave him a gift we could never repay – the gift of life," Tomlin-Hess said from her home in the United States. She wanted to honor both that donor and the medical team who made the impossible possible.

Royal Papworth was the first hospital in Europe to perform this type of heart transplant. The technique has since opened doors for more patients to receive life-saving hearts that previously couldn't be used.

The donation will fund three critical research projects. Scientists will work on better ways to assess donor hearts, extend how long hearts can be preserved outside the body, and test affordable technology for perfusion, the process that keeps organs viable during transport.

Part of the gift came from Tomlin-Hess's late husband, Robert Hess, who became passionate about giving after losing his son in 1973. Robert cared deeply about Terry and promised him a fishing trip to Alaska once he recovered. That trip happened, and the two men shared adventures that wouldn't have been possible without the transplant.

Why This Inspires

This story shows how gratitude can multiply. One family received an incredible gift through organ donation. They're now ensuring that gift extends far beyond their own lives. The research funded by this donation will improve heart transplant success rates worldwide, turning one saved life into potentially hundreds more.

Krystyna Grant, managing director of Royal Papworth Hospital Charity, called the donation transformative. "Through Wendy's support, Royal Papworth will continue to lead innovation in heart care and support, ensuring more patients receive the gift of life," she said.

Every advance in transplant medicine creates ripples that spread across the world. Today, a sister's gratitude becomes tomorrow's medical breakthrough.