McKenzie Pettit was shocked when her doctor told her she needed a heart transplant at only 19 years old. She was a college student with plans to become a veterinarian. Suddenly faced with a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart’s chambers become enlarged making it difficult for the heart to pump blood effectively. Nothing seemed normal or certain anymore.
“You don’t expect to face death at 19,” McKenzie said. “But my care team was phenomenal. They made every step of the way possible for me and my family.”
She got her new heart 14 months later at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin in March of 2022. The COVID epidemic was still winding down so visitors were few and far between during her two-month hospital stay. She often felt lonely and uncertain about her future.
McKenzie’s cardiac rehab team gave her the first taste of normal life that she craved. Hours of exercises and walking with her caregivers included conversations that didn’t focus on her health. They talked about friends and family, music and restaurants. She said those sessions with her exercise physiologists strengthened her mental and emotional health along with her body.
As she recovered, McKenzie discovered that she had a change of heart in more than physical ways. She decided to change her major and study exercise physiology so she could provide the same care to others that her ASMCA team had given her. She got her degree in May 2024 and began working in the cardiac rehab unit at Ascension Providence two weeks later.
Today, she helps heart patients build up their strength and endurance as they go through their own health journeys. Inspired by the care team that helped her regain her sense of normal, she looks for ways to be lighthearted and fun as she helps her patients get back to normal, too.
What she loves about her work: Seeing patients make progress and get stronger over time.
Her biggest challenge: McKenzie’s life-threatening diagnosis helped her understand how precious life is and she gets emotional when others struggle to find the motivation to care for themselves.
When she’s not working: McKenzie coaches the color guard. She also loves walking her dog and reading a good book.
Her motto: “It’s not, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ but, ‘Who did this happen for?’ I want to make sure that everything that happens to me is a blessing for someone else. I can help them along their journey as well.”