Ron underwent a rare 'piggyback' operation, in which the donor heart was plugged into his own failing heart. Twelve hours later, he awoke with two hearts beating in his chest. It took some time for the two hearts to 'synchronise', but now two beats can be heard through a stethoscope, although his old heart is virtually powerless. Now in his seventies, Ron has a new lease on life: "I've got no complaints; I'm still here and I've got plenty to do. Being alive to see my grandchildren grow up is a wonderful thing" he told his local newspaper.
Sometimes there are events in our lives that are capable of giving us a fresh appreciation of what life has to offer us, or maybe even a deeper gratitude of those around us. There are other times in which we feel it would just be better if we could start all over again. The Bible tells us that we can have this fresh start and new appreciation of life when we place our trust in God and seek to live his way. Experiencing a ‘new life’, we can live with a whole fresh new perspective. While Ron Cooper physically took on a new heart, God offers all of us a spiritual transplant, one that will cause us to be changed and renewed in positive and remarkable ways.