ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — An Elizabeth City mother is sharing her story of survival after a life-threatening heart condition forced her to fight for her life at an age when most people her age were focused on other things.
Shayla Ponton was 30 years old and a new mother when doctors delivered devastating news.
"I mean, my doctors at one point were very honest, like, you know, we don't — you know, you having a child may, may kill you, you know," Ponton said.
Ponton was diagnosed with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that impacts the heart's main pumping chamber. Facing an uncertain future, she feared she might not live to see her son grow up.
"I was like terrified, like, am I gonna live? Am I gonna, like, am I gonna be able to see my son grow up?" Ponton said.
Her cardiac team at Sentara Heart Hospital determined that a heart transplant was her best — and only — hope. The wait for a donor began.
Dr. Christopher Sciortino, a cardiac surgeon with Sentara Health, said the uncertainty of that wait is something his team is always upfront about with patients.
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"This is something that's very important that we counsel all patients who are listed for transplant. Transplant listing does not guarantee that they will get a heart transplant," Sciortino said.
Ponton's care team also included transplant coordinators like Kristina Louka, who guides patients through the process.
"There are people that are getting a sister, a mother, a father. It's really life changing for these people, and you're — you will become a hero because it's your legacy that lives on through this person," Louka said.
Doctors at Sentara eventually found a donor, and Ponton underwent a lifesaving transplant operation. Louka reflected on the profound impact of that single act of generosity.
"That's changing 7 people's lives. Uh, look at Shayla. Cameron now has a mother and she will be there to raise him with Dwayne," Louka said.
Sciortino said patients who receive transplants often go on to live full, active lives.
"So they can do almost anything. And a lot of them do, whether we want them to or not," Sciortino said.
For Ponton, the experience has left her with a deeper sense of purpose.
"I still think about that every day, what, what am I here for? Why, why am I still here?" Ponton said.
"The past 10 years have been quite a ride," Ponton said.
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