Jake Massey
A woman who had a heart transplant from a middle-aged man has opened up about the side effects.
Cecilia-Joy Adamou, from Surrey, UK, told her TikTok followers about the impact her numerous surgeries have had, including three effects that you can see from outside of her body.
Watch here:
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Cecilia has had brain cancer, a heart transplant and a kidney transplant, and she uses her platform to open up about her medical journey, having been born with a Atrioventricular Septal Defect with Left Atrial Isomerism.
In a viral video, she revealed three 'super weird' consequences of her surgeries.
She started by pointing out that you can see her heart beating through her chest, before showing the bald patch where her hair never grew back after brain surgery.
She closed the video by explaining that her feet sadly don't move because of nerve damage.
Cecilia's condition meant that the chambers on either side of her heart had holes in them.
After receiving life-saving surgery when she was six months old and aged two, she was able to live a relatively normal childhood for six years.
However, in April 2010, Cecilia had to have more surgery after her heart deteriorated and she ended up suffering a cardiac arrest.
Her heart failed and she had to be kept on full life support, before having a heart transplant.
"My parents would come home every night not knowing if I would be alive the next morning. A couple of times they got the call saying they had to come in, it's near the end," Cecilia said.
In September 2010, she underwent a 12-hour surgery, but experienced another cardiac arrest.
While on life support for three months, she suffered kidney failure and so had to have a kidney transplant, which her mother donated, and surgery on her feet so she could walk again after she experienced nerve damage.
In 2014, she was diagnosed with two brain tumours, with two also later found in her spine. The tumours were discovered as being connected to her transplant immunosuppressant medication.
Commenting on the above video, people praised Cecilia for her courage.
One person wrote: "You are unbelievable! Honestly you're an inspiration to everyone."
Another added: "My goodness, what a brave warrior you are. I pray that you live a long happy life and amuse your grandchildren with these party tricks x"