Meet Javier Cuevas, a former Olympic-bound triathlete who received a new heart at the McGill University Health Centre

Javier Cuevas is living proof that life as you know it can change in a heartbeat.

One minute he was an Olympics-bound triathlete, and the next he was in the hospital fighting for his life.

It was 2011, and the seven-time Dominican Republic national champion had his eyes set on London 2012 when a massive heart attack changed everything. A friend found him unconscious in his car and performed CPR until emergency responders arrived.

Shocked with a defibrillator seven times and rushed to the nearest hospital, Javier woke up 11 days later from a medically induced coma, confused but alive.

“The doctors informed me that I was technically dead for 21 minutes,” shares Javier.

Javier was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), a rare genetic condition where the heart muscle is gradually replaced with scar tissue, leading to dangerous arrhythmias—irregular heartbeats caused by faulty electrical signals in the heart.

With ARVD, any activity that increases the heart rate poses a danger, and Javier’s doctor ordered him to keep his heart rate under 100—the last thing that an Olympic hopeful, someone who trained rigorously for 20-25 hours a week, wanted to hear.

“Being active—swimming, biking, running—had defined my life up until that point. I never imagined my own body would turn on me,” reflected Javier.

He had a defibrillator implanted—a device that sends strong shocks to regulate the heart’s rhythm when it falters. For the first 18 months after leaving the hospital, Javier managed well if he avoided strenuous activity. But by 2014, his defibrillator started firing frequently, causing him to pass out during everyday activities. One day, he passed out while coaching kids at the pool.

“The truth is that I was barely able to function,” recalls Javier.

His doctors were adamant that a heart transplant was his only path to survival, but Javier resisted the idea until he met Fabien Grignard, a Montreal-based cyclist who received a heart transplant and then returned to competitive racing. Inspired by Grignard’s recovery, Javier agreed to join the transplant list.

In January 2021, he received a call from the McGill University Health Centre—his new heart was waiting for him.

Javier’s heart transplant was under the exceptional care of Dr. Nadia Giannetti, the Medical Director of the Heart Failure and Heart Transplant program, and Dr. Renzo Cecere, a renowned MUHC cardiac surgeon.

“People forget that heart attacks can happen to anyone, at any age. Javier’s story reminds us of why we are always looking for new innovative treatments and to improve heart care, the leading cause of death for Canadians,” shares Dr. Renzo Cecere, MUHC Cardiac Surgeon.

In May, Javier laced up a new pair of running shoes and began jogging again. It was grueling, but the endorphins reminded him of why he loved being an athlete.

“When I got sick, it felt like I had lost everything I worked for. But now, thanks to the gift of a donor heart and the care I received at the MUHC, I have a second chance at life,” Javier says.

Since getting his transplanted heart, Javier has teamed up with the MUHC Foundation to raise awareness about the importance of being an organ donor, and to support the MUHC’s transplant centre—a lifeline for patients needing organ transplants, offering compassionate, multidisciplinary care before, during, and after treatment.

“Organ donation saved my life,” Javier emphasizes. “It’s incredible to think one donor can save up to eight people. That’s eight lives with dreams, ambitions, and hopes for the future.”

In the same way that Javier’s life changed in a heartbeat, it only takes a moment—28 seconds out of your day—to impact a life.

With the doctors of the Department of Medicine matching every donation to the MUHC Foundation’s 28 Seconds. A World of Impact campaign, your donation this holiday season will go twice as far, funding lifesaving care and innovation, and ensuring patients like Javier have the chance to live fully again.

It only takes 28 seconds to create a world of impact.

Donate today