Jessica Cowin
Eileen Pearlman and Jessica Cowin: Eileen has two daughters, Jessica and Amy Cowin. While pregnant with Jessica, she thought everything was fine. Jessica was born on June 7, 1983. Doctors began monitoring her heart due to an irregular heartbeat. Three days later, after extensive testing, she had emergency surgery because she had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. By 13, she had had all of the palliative surgeries and a revised Fontan because her heart was failing. In August of 1999, Jessica was listed for a heart transplant. Being listed at home meant it could take 6-12 months to get a heart; however, on September 25, 1999, we were called to the hospital for a new heart! She received the heart of a local fifteen year old. At 26 she was told that the doctors could not do a routine catheterization because her creatinine (kidney) levels were too high and it would shut her kidneys down. Her kidneys failed due to her anti-rejection medications. On April 2, 2009, Amy gave her big sister a kidney to save her life, again.
