(FOX 2) - "I had sudden cardiac arrest survived it," said Amy Bacon. "I had a heart transplant, that's risky."
As an organ transplant recipient, Amy Bacon takes extra steps to stay healthy. So when the COVID-19 crisis hit, she started wearing a mask and gloves and is even more cautious when she leaves her apartment in the Flint area.
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Organ transplant recipients take extra precautions amid pandemic
As an organ transplant recipient Amy Bacon takes extra steps to stay healthy.
"When I do leave my apartment have Lysol, I am spraying the doorknob, the mail box, praying the air, " she said.
But like many organ transplant recipients, a compromised immune system makes Amy more susceptible to viruses like COVID-19. So despite her due diligence, she started feeling fatigued, lost her appetite and then she got tested.
"It was like someone hit me in the gut I was like, 'I could die,'" she said.
But as a cardiac arrest survivor, Bacon knew it was time to fight again. So she immediately contacted her transplant care team.
"Generally it is your transplant doctor," said Shalonda Griffin, Gift of Life Michigan. "There's some nurses and some other people on there, who help keep you healthy."
"I was in contact with my neurologist for my migraines," Bacon said. "I was in contact with my transplant psychiatrist."
Bacon, who is pursuing a doctorate degree in public health, advises other transplant recipients to not ignore their symptoms.
"You reach out to your team," she said. "And you have to, 100 percent, be your best advocate."
Bacon says she is still recovering from COVID-19 and has stated having additional symptoms like coughing, but she is determined to keep sharing her story in hopes that it can help others.
"I am thankful for any opportunity I have to make a difference," she said. "And if I have to go through something to get the knowledge and the strength to help other people, then that's God's will."
Learn more about organ donation at giftoflifemichigan.org/