By Despina Karpathiou
It’s not every day you get a second chance at life — and by life, I mean a heart.
The heart is the silent hero of our existence — a ceaseless force that begins beating before we even open our eyes to the world and doesn’t rest until our journey ends. Each beat is a gift, carrying oxygen and life-giving energy to every corner of the body.
The Greek Herald spoke to Angelo Alateras about his second chance at life.
Life for Angelo, born to Greek parents in Melbourne, was pretty normal. He loved spending time with his cousins and was always active.
“It was in my 20s that I started to gain weight, and by my late 30s, I was 180kgs,” Angelo recalls.
The strain on his body eventually led to a diagnosis of Ventricular Tachycardia (also known as VT or arrhythmia).
“I was so seriously ill, on my last leg, when my only option for a second chance was to be put on life support via a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) — a mechanical heart to keep me alive,” he says.
Angelo spent two months in a coma, another two months in ICU, and three months in a ward — seven months in hospital in total.
“Whilst in ICU, I went into cardiac arrest. When I came to, a nurse who had performed CPR apologised for breaking a few of my ribs. I just told her, ‘I should be thankful you were in the right place and saved my life’,” he says.
The hardest moment, Angelo says, came when his father visited him in ICU after six weeks apart.
“My dad sat in the chair beside me, but he didn’t recognise me at all. My brother had to tell him, ‘It’s your son, Angelo.’ It was so emotional seeing my father’s memory slipping away. I told myself then, I just need to be strong and never give up. At that point, I couldn’t even communicate with him because my voice box was damaged when they removed the breathing tubes. I had to learn to speak again.”
For the next two years, Angelo lived with the LVAD while waiting for a donor heart.
“I had to carry a shoulder bag containing two batteries the size of bricks and a controller that kept me alive. This bag weighed 4kgs,” he explains.
On top of that, he carried a backpack with four backup batteries in case the main ones ran low — another 6kgs.
“The bag also had to hold my diary, where I documented battery performance and my symptoms throughout the day. I also had to carry a spare controller in case the one attached to my body failed. If I had to change them over, I only had five minutes to do so — otherwise, I could have died,” he explains.
The weight — both physical and emotional — became exhausting. Angelo knew he had to fight harder.
He began attending rehab at the Alfred Gym three times a week to build up his strength so he would be ready for the call. Then came another huge sacrifice: to be eligible for transplant, Angelo had to remove all his teeth in one go to eliminate the risk of infection.
Fast forward 21 months — and 615 days of physio later — Angelo had lost over 80kgs and was finally ready for a real heart transplant.
That magical call came on March 5, 2025, at approximately 10:30 pm: they had found him a heart.
He was admitted the next day, and after 12 hours of surgery, his body had successfully accepted its new heart.
Angelo then spent one week in ICU and another week in a ward before beginning rehabilitation at home.
He credits his wife as being his “second life support system.”
“This whole process has been extremely taxing on both of us,” he says. “Firstly, I want to thank my wife, who has stood by my side every second of every day. I could not have done this without her. She has been my second life support system.”
His parents also never left his side during his long hospital stay.
After being discharged, Angelo was unable to drive, so his wife had to take him to hospital at least three times a week for rehabilitation.
“Post-transplant, she also had to undergo training so she could change my bandages every two days,” he adds.
He also expressed gratitude to his wider support system.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to my family and friends, who have been a great support throughout my journey. I also want to thank my work management and staff, who have been incredibly supportive,” he says.
Today, Angelo is back to living life. He goes to the gym every day, plays lawn bowls, enjoys the outdoors, and has even returned to fishing — something he loves.
And finally, his heartfelt appreciation goes to the Alfred Hospital and its dedicated team.
“I cannot express my gratitude enough to the Alfred Hospital and their team — in every department — for everything they have done for me and for hundreds of others. If you would like to support this amazing hospital and its transplant team, any donations would be greatly appreciated,” he says.
Donations can be made at: www.hlttv.org.au
Angelo would like everyone to join him at Oakleigh Bowls Club on August 31st (1-5pm) to celebrate his successful heart transplant & to launch the Heart to Heart House Christmas Raffle. RVSP to Angelo on 0411 667 970.
