A picture of a woman holding her own heart in her hands, following a transplant operation, has gone viral on the internet.
The image, which was posted online by the woman’s friend, has spread like wildfire since it appeared online and we have to admit, it’s pretty inspirational. Check it out:
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Penny, holding her old heart after her transplant
The woman in the picture is called Penny and she took this picture to celebrate the fact that she made it through heart transplant surgery and now has a fully-functioning replacement heart.
Penny’s friend Kelsey shared this amazing picture on the photo-sharing website Imgur along with the following message:
“This is my friend Penney. She is holding her own heart. She has survived cancer and crippling heart failure but never lost hope. She’s my hero.”
Kelsey added that despite Penny’s wishes, the doctors wouldn’t allow her to keep her old heart.
“It had to be cremated but she kept the ashes,” said Kelsey.
It is believed that around 3,500 heart transplants are performed worldwide every single year. We think Penny’s picture (and story) is an absolute inspiration.