Patrick Holland, a 56-year-old father from Alaska, was set to receive a life-saving heart transplant at the University of Washington Medical Center on Dec. 22, but his plans were derailed when his Alaska Airlines flight was canceled due to the historic U.S. winter storm.
Holland, who is battling congestive heart failure, had been given an 8-hour window to fly to Seattle for the transplant, but was left stranded at the Fairbanks airport.
Holland’s travel plans were disrupted when his flight, via Alaska Airlines, was canceled due to weather. Despite the airline staff’s efforts to reroute him on the next flight, Holland was unable to make it in the 8-hour window and the heart was given to another recipient.
Holland said, “I think I cried more that day than I have in my life, and exerted every emotion that I’ve never had. To get out of that funk, I immediately said, ‘Thank God, there’s going to be a family that is saving someone’s dad, saving someone’s brother, saving someone’s, someone’s uncle, you know.'”
Holland hopes to receive a new heart soon to keep up with his wife of 17 years and seven kids. He plans to stay in the area while he waits for a heart to become available.