Gift of Life 81 The Organ Transplant Podcast

This week, we meet Jimmy Tolleson, a preacher from Alabama whose journey to a new heart is a powerful testimony of faith and endurance.

Jimmy’s story began at just 16 years old, when he started experiencing chest pains. Despite repeated reassurances that his heart was fine, his symptoms continued for decades—until, at age 51, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio discovered the truth. There, he underwent his first open-heart surgery, beginning a long road toward survival.

Years later, Jimmy received his life-saving heart transplant at St. Thomas West in Nashville, Tennessee. But his journey was made even more heartbreaking when his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer—right as Jimmy was being placed on the transplant list. Balancing his own fight for life while saying goodbye to the love of his life tested his faith in unimaginable ways.

In this emotional and inspiring conversation, Jimmy shares how he found strength through faith, community, and the incredible gift of organ donation.

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Featured in this Episode

BJ Odom’s Memoir: More Parts Than a Chicken Nugget

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