The Heart Of Dave Mendoza

I will always look up to my younger brother, Dave Mendoza. He was born on leap year in 1968 (2/29). He was born with two holes in his heart. He had open-heart surgery when he was five. That kept him going for about eight years. When he was thirteen, he was told he would die if he didn't have a heart transplant. He did have that transplant in 1981. His health definitely improved after that. Sadly, that heart gave out in 1984, and Dave had to have a second transplant. He then had to have a third transplant in 1987. He was told at age five or so that he would not live past his teen years. Luckily, that prognosis was not accurate. My brother Dave passed away on January 6, 2000. It was early morning on a Thursday. He almost made it to his thirty-second birthday. It wasn't a long life, but it was a good life. He touched a lot of lives while he was here on Earth. He was my best friend while he was alive. Today, he is still one of my main role models for courage. Getting through open-heart surgery and three heart transplants must have been very painful and emotionally draining. May 28, 2007 Monday 10:00 AM AZ