More donors needed as man waits for heart transplant

WTNH News 8, Hartford, CT | Jocelyn Maminta

Hartford, Conn (WTNH) - The Cardiac ICU at Hartford Hospital is home away from home for Colby Salerno. The 23 year old is waiting for a new heart because a rare disease has weakened the one he has.

Colby says, "I live here for the time being and I just wait now for an organ to come in that will match with me."

Colby is first in line and can not leave until a donor is found.

"Colby can not depend on medication, he can not depend on pumps," his mother Kelly Salerno said. "The only thing that can save Colby's life is a heart transplant."

Colby adds, "It just weighs on you, knowing that you're just waiting for that moment. It's like nothing really matters, until that occurs."

But donor availability is down; the average wait here at Hartford Hospital is three months.

Read more and watch video: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/health/more-donors-needed-as-man-waits-for-a-heart-transplant