Army veteran Terrill Giere has been out of the military for more than 20 years, but he still has the fighting spirit of a soldier.
After battling heart failure and a stroke, relying on a left ventricular device (LVAD) to keep him alive, and then developing a potentially deadly infection, Giere recently received a life-saving heart transplant at the Michael E. DeBakey VA in Houston.
While he continues to recover, Giere, 60, celebrated Valentine’s Day with his wife and is looking forward to living a long and happy life.
During a 2020 trip to Colorado, Giere started having breathing issues that, at the time, he attributed to the high elevation. When he got home to Texas, he went in for a check-up and was surprised when doctors diagnosed him with heart failure.
“Before this diagnosis, I was pretty healthy, but my heart started acting up pretty fast. By 2023, I had to be medevacked to Houston VA to get an LVAD. It was a scary time,” he shared.
After a year of relying on the LVAD — a small, battery-operated pump implanted into the chest that helps the heart circulate blood — Giere returned for more unexpected news. His doctors found he had developed an unusual allergy along with a very serious infection and needed a heart transplant.
“I knew there was something serious when they took 45 vials of my blood. Everything happened so fast. I was in shock. In less than a week I was told they had found a heart and I was in the operating room,” he said.
Since the heart transplant last October, Giere has been working hard to recover and is already feeling great. He enjoys walking and says he can’t wait to get back to spending time with his 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren who affectionally call him “Grumpy.”
“I have been so impressed by the staff at Houston VA. For such a large hospital, both the LVAD and the transplant staff have taken amazing care of me. When I walk onto the transplant unit for a check-up, sometimes I feel like a celebrity. I really think that God had a hand in my health journey and he guided the hands of the VA doctors taking care of me,” he said.
According to Dr. Savitri Fedson, medical director of the advanced heart failure program, Houston VA is one of just a few VA facilities performing LVAD procedures and heart transplants. She said veterans like Giere who receive both an LVAD and a heart transplant often embody a special spirit of resilience and hope.
“The LVAD serves as a critical bridge allowing veterans to regain their strength and improve their quality of life while waiting for a donor heart,” said Fedson, who is also a professor for the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine. “This combination not only extends their lives but also enables them to embrace new beginnings and cherish precious moments with their loved ones.”
Giere credits his wife Shannon as playing a key role in his recovery. Fifty-eight years ago, the couple met as toddlers and formed an instant connection. Life took them on different paths with Giere joining the military and serving in the honor guard in Washington, DC. Each raised a family. However, years later they reconnected and married in 2021. They have been inseparable since.
“Shannon is the reason I’m here today. She has been with me every step of the way through all my health battles. She really is the love of my life,” Giere added.
“We thank Mr. Giere for choosing to receive his care at Houston VA,” said Fedson. “It is our honor and privilege to care for him.”