学进去

Thirteen years ago, Ava Kaufman was fighting for her life. Now, thanks to a donor heart and successful organ transplant, she’s alive — and saving others.

“My life changed on a dime.” said Kaufman, who was a professional dancer and black belt in taekwondo (跆拳道) when an autoimmune disease went undiagnosed and she ended up on life support in intensive care with organ failure. On her birthday in 2009, she received a new heart and promised God if she could live to raise her young daughter, she would do everything she could to give back. Today, Kaufman is doing just that.

Kaufman started her non-profit, Ava’s Heart. She and her organization offer transplant patients services that are often not covered by insurance, including food, gas, and housing. She found out that patients often must show financial security and be able to afford transportation and housing near their transplant hospital to get listed. And for some patients hoping to receive a transplant in a big city like Los Angeles, where rents are high and hotels are expensive, the cost alone could be a barrier.

Kaufman runs two housing locations where she houses up to five transplant patients and their families at a time, at no cost, after their surgery. This allows them to remain close to their transplant hospital for the duration of their aftercare. Since she started, Kaufman has helped about 175 people with post-transplant housing, and about 150 more with support services and financial assistance.

At 72, Kaufman works out every day and has no plans to slow down. “I feel like I was chosen to do this,” she said. “When I made a promise to God, I didn’t know what it was going to be, but it turned out to be my non-profit, Ava’s Heart.”