Ava Kaufman was a professional dancer who performed all around the world. It was her passion and identity and life rolled into one.

She also had just adopted a beautiful baby girl.

But suddenly, within months, what started out as a rash on her hands landed her in the hospital, awaiting a heart transplant.

Ava says when she first notice the rash, she went to her dermatologist and was treated with topical creams. But over the months, the rash got worse and new problems started popping up. Her nails turned black, she started feeling weak and she had difficulty walking.

Finally, a blood test at her internist’s office showed that she had contracted an autoimmune disease and it was eating away at her muscles, including her heart.

As she was ready to leave for a muscle biopsy, she passed up and ended up in the hospital. Within two days, machines were keeping her alive and she was put on a heart transplant list.

Ava explains how she got her new heart and how she spent four months in a hospital, eventually having to learn how to do everything again.

Her experience changed her life in countless ways, including her passions. Now she travels the country speaking to high school students to discuss organ donation. Plus, she volunteers at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and helps mentor heart transplant list patients through the process, and she’s establishing a foundation to help transplant patients with medical bills.

Listen to her story and find out how your life can change in ways you never dreamed and how to find a new purpose and direction in life.