Grateful Hearts: Keith Kristin's Journey from Life-Threatening Complications to Heartfelt Gratitude

Keith Kristin wakes up every morning with a healthy heart and gratitude for his life. After facing serious and life-threatening heart complications for years, a heart transplant gave him a second chance, including the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day.

Keith had a long history of cardiac issues and received his first pacemaker/defibrillator in 2010 due to atrial fibrillation and a low ejection fraction, which forced him to retire early and quit running.

At Providence Heart Institute in Spokane, Keith met Dr. Deirdre Mooney, an advanced heart failure cardiologist. She helped him understand the gravity of his illness and the potential for improvement with special home intravenous medication. “We’re glad you’re here, and we’re going to watch you very carefully,” said Dr. Mooney.

In December 2019, Keith’s defibrillator engaged 12 times, and he was thankful for the miracle of a new heart within two weeks. He credits Dr. Mooney and the heart transplant team, including Dr. Andrew Coletti, Dr. James Mudd, and Dr. Robert Scott, for his life-saving care. “It’s impossible to go through an experience like this without the care team becoming part of our family,” Keith said.

After a smooth transplant surgery, Keith faced a rare complication, where he lost a lot of blood quickly. Dr. Smith, still outside his room, jumped into action, reopened his chest, and saved his life with an emergency surgery. “Dr. Smith is an angel in my life and I’m so thankful she saved me. My wife, Sarah, told me she stayed in my room monitoring me for hours the first night,” Keith said.

There are few who understand the experience of waiting on a transplant list for a critical organ. It can take days, months, even years, as patients hope for a life-saving gift with no guarantee it will arrive. 

Keith spent weeks in rehabilitation at Providence St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Medical Center, learning to walk again. Now, he shows his gratitude through simple acts of kindness and volunteer shifts, helping hundreds of patients at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. “Fear and anxiety are very common feelings,” Keith said. “We can’t make them go away, but we can talk about them in very real ways.”

Keith is committed to making the most of his new chapter in life, returning to the gym, playing golf, and enjoying time with Sarah, their two adult children, and four grandchildren. “I’m in my final quarter of life, I know that. Because of my journey, I want to make as much of an impact as I can while I’m here,” Keith said. “I’m just so grateful, especially for Sarah, who has been by my side every step of the way.”