2019 Donna Pierce

Name:                                     Donna Pierce

Type of Donation:             Tissue recipient

Age and Location:             Age 46 – Owings Mills, MD

Transplant Date:                 6/16/2000

Sponsor:                               Honored by CryoLife, Inc.

DONNA’S STORY

For the first 28 years of Donna’s life, she struggled with a congenital heart condition that prevented her from participating in a great deal of physical activities.  She would often pass out during physical activity attempts and had to sit on the sidelines, watching her friends easily do things that were so challenging for her.  She always had an athletic mindset in a body that did not want to cooperate, so this was a source of constant frustration.

Throughout her first 22 years, she had less invasive procedures, biding time as her physicians were waiting for better technology to come through for her.  That time came when she was 28 years old; at that time, she received a life-transforming heart valve from a donor, a 34-year old woman.

A few months after her procedure, she changed careers and took a position in the fitness industry, in order to live the lifestyle that she always wanted for herself. She also wanted to help others overcome their own physical and mental limitations. She completed marathons, triathlons and century rides, before discovering CrossFit for the first time. Now, she is the co-owner of Arenal Fitness and has the privilege of helping others to achieve their goals.

It has been 17 years since her procedure and she is so thankful and appreciative of the gift that she has received.  She made a promise to herself and her donor that she would never take the gift she received for granted.  She honors her donor every day by living her life to the fullest, and she also helps others do the same. Because of her donor, she is able to live a life without restrictions and achieve things that she never thought possible.  Donna recently participated in the Transplant Games of America, held in August in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Donna Pierce resides in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband Ken, where she owns a CrossFit and personal training facility named Arenal Fitness.