Heart transplant survivor celebrates 5 year anniversary after successful surgery

May 26, 2019 1:40 pm

By Josh Faiola

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

NORTH SCITUATE , R.I (WLNE) – A Glocester man celebrated his 50th birthday and his 5 year anniversary after a successful heart transplant on Saturday.

Steven ‘Superman’ DiSumma was born with a birth defect that essentially caused his heart to grow backwards.

He had been living in a Boston Hospital since June of 2013 living on an artificial heart, waiting on a phone call for when a donor would come through.

The Glocester community rallied around DiSumma and his family, helping them raise money for medical costs.

After a year of waiting, DiSumma finally received a heart transplant on Sunday, June 1, 2014.

The surgery was a success and the new heart functioned normally.

May 25th, DiSumma celebrated not only the milestone of age 50, but 5 years with his new heart.

At the party, was Disumma’s friend Katie, who was also celebrating her 5 year anniversary with a new heart of her own. Katie received her heart just a few months before DiSumma.