With Thanksgiving just two days away, a 19-year-old dance teacher and Long Island’s youngest heart transplant patient gave thanks to the surgeons, doctors and nurses at the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in Manhasset who saved his life.
During a news conference at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Frankie England Jr. and his family heard words of encouragement from Dr. Brian Lima, director of heart transplantation; Dr. Simon Maybaum, vice president of cardiovascular research and England’s cardiologist; and Dr. Syed Hussain, the attending surgeon who performed England’s heart transplant.
England, also a poet and actor, had been a professional dance teacher since the age of 15. Always in excellent health, he suddenly became weak to the point that even brushing his teeth had become difficult. On Sept. 8, he was brought to the heart hospital, having been diagnosed with severe heart failure.
“When he came to us, Frankie’s heart was functioning at barely 15 percent and his kidney and liver were also failing,” Maybaum said. “We treated him with an intra-aortic balloon pump, which is a mechanical pump to support his failing heart.”
Maybaum said that England was placed on the national heart transplant list on Sept. 16. He had to wait just over one month for a suitable heart to become available. His surgery took place on Oct. 5 and he was able to go home on Nov. 19, just before Thanksgiving.
“I’m happy to report that his prognosis is excellent,” Maybaum said.
After explaining the most basic components of the complex surgery, Hussain commented on Frankie’s positive attitude and how important that is for patient and physician alike.
“Frankie is such a special person,” Hussain said. “He became the personal friend of every doctor and nurse on the unit. We feel like we are all part of one family.”
One of the high points of the day was a special surprise video from Val Chmerkovskiy from “Dancing with the Stars,” and his ballroom colleagues at Dance with Me Studio in Glen Head.
During the minute-long video, which brought England and his family to tears, Chmerkovskiy spoke directly to the young dancer, offering him words of encouragement for the future and suggesting that one day, “maybe we’ll share a dance floor.”
For his part, Frankie said the thing he is most happy about is knowing that he will be able to rejoin his loving family and that life will return to normal.
“Every morning, I wake up and thank the angel who gave me my new heart,” England said. “I know I have an angel’s heart in my body, and I want to treat it well. I want to thank my parents and my sister, and all my doctors and nurses, for giving me this beautiful new life.”
