Doctor Who Received Emergency Heart Transplant Welcomes Baby Four Years Later
Doctor Who Received Emergency Heart Transplant Welcomes Baby Four Years Later
Nearly four years after receiving an emergency heart transplant, Dr Sanjana Kochhar has reached a milestone she once could not be sure she would ever see: becoming a mother.
The Liverpool GP received a donor heart in November 2022 after suffering multiple organ failure and being placed on the urgent transplant list. In August 2026, she welcomed her first child, a baby girl.
A Sudden Medical Crisis
Kochhar first experienced heart problems while studying at university. At the time, she noticed breathlessness and occasional heart palpitations.
Her condition gradually worsened. In October 2022, when she was 29, she became critically ill. Her heart was functioning at a severely reduced level, while her lungs filled with fluid and her kidneys and liver stopped working.
She was transferred to a specialist transplant centre and placed on the urgent heart transplant list on October 31.
A Donor Heart Arrived
Four weeks later, Kochhar received a donor heart.
She later described the transplant as a moment when her body seemed to begin working again. After intensive care and further recovery, she was discharged from hospital on Christmas Eve in 2022.
She eventually completed her GP training and returned to work, using her experience as a transplant recipient to better understand patients facing serious heart conditions.
Meeting Her Donor’s Family
Kochhar later wrote to her donor’s family to thank them for the gift that had saved her life.
She eventually received a response from the donor’s parents and was able to meet members of the donor’s family and close friends.
She has spoken about the complicated emotions surrounding receiving an organ after another person’s death, while also expressing deep gratitude to the donor and their family.
A New Chapter
In August 2026, Kochhar and her husband, Paul, welcomed their daughter.
The British Heart Foundation has also dedicated a red bench to Kochhar in Liverpool’s Otterspool Park. She said the bench reminds her of th
