Мужчина, перенесший пересадку сердца, финишировал на велопрогулке в родном городе спустя четыре месяца после операции

From new heart to hometown ride East Prairie man joins annual bike event 4 months after transplant surgery EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. (Heartland News) - For most people in East Prairie, the annual Sweet Corn Festival and the accompanying Tour de Corn bike ride are beloved local traditions. But for 30-year-old Larry Mayabb, crossing the finish line of the 15-mile ride this year was nothing short of a miracle. Just four months ago, Mayabb underwent a life-saving heart transplant. “I’m just happy to be here,” Mayabb said, full of gratitude. “I just can’t put it into words.” A Seven-Year Battle Mayabb’s journey to the finish line began seven years ago when he was just 23. What he thought was a severe case of pneumonia turned out to be congestive heart failure. “Finally some guy comes in and he says, ‘You got the keys to your truck?’ I said, ‘Yes sir.’ He said, ‘You need to go lock it because we’re fixing to put you in an ambulance and send you to Cape, we think you have congestive heart failure,” Mayabb recalled. He was speechless, as he would have never dreamed that was the likely diagnosis. Doctors managed his condition with medication and an internal defibrillator, but two years later, Mayabb suffered a heart attack, requiring a stent in his artery. By Christmas Eve of 2025, Mayabb’s health had deteriorated. Knowing for years that he would eventually need a new heart, he admitted himself to the hospital. He was placed on the transplant list, knowing he had to get sicker to qualify for a donor heart. A Second Chance at Life In early February 2026, Mayabb received the news he had been praying for: doctors had found a matching heart from a young donor. The transplant surgery was a success. “My heart started beating on its own at like 70 percent,” Mayabb said emotionally. “God is good.” While Mayabb doesn’t know much about his young donor, the weight of the gift is never far from his mind. “It’s really hard to wrap your head around. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to comprehend that I have someone else’s organ in my body.” The change was immediate. For the first time in years, Mayabb got a taste of what normal energy felt like. “I’ve said to a lot of my friends that I didn’t know this was what normal people felt like,” he said. Taking up cycling Determined to take care of his new heart, Mayabb took up cycling as soon as he was cleared to exercise. “I just knew right away, I want to get a bike and I want to start riding, something I couldn’t do before,” Mayabb said. “The first day, I think I just took off to see what I could do, it ended up being like five or six miles.” That dedication culminated at the Tour de Corn in his hometown of East Prairie. Surrounded by cheering crowds, Mayabb completed the 15-mile ride, an achievement he once thought was impossible. “This isn’t about me, this is about what God can do for you,” Mayabb said, hoping his journey inspires others who are struggling. “If there’s anything I can do to help someone who feels the way that I felt, because it’s a terrible way to feel. In my experience, I didn’t feel like there was a lot of time left. That’s a scary feeling.” Today, Mayabb is enjoying the simple things, like completing a full day of work without feeling completely exhausted. He plans to make the most of every single day. “It’s a little bit of a struggle trying to cope with everything, but overall, I know I’m supposed to be here, and I’m here.” Mayabb encourages everyone to register as an organ donor. You can easily sign up to save a life when renewing your driver’s license at the DMV, or by registering online at your state’s organ donor registry. Copyright 2026 Heartland News. All rights reserved.