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Heart transplant recipient turns survival story in hopeful mission alongside wife

By Bryan Gray
Updated  February 27, 2025 5:29pm EST
What's Right with Tampa Bay
FOX 13 News

Couple hits the road looking to spread hope

In What’s Right with Tampa Bay, FOX 13’s Mark Wilson highlights a Fort Myers man hitting the road with his wife as he turns his story of surviving a heart transplant during the COVID-19 pandemic into a mission of hope.

The Brief

    • A Fort Myers man received a heart transplant during the COVID-19 pandemic, and alongside his wife, turned his survival story into a mission of hope.
    • He was diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis, a rare disease that can lead to heart failure.
    • Now, the couple is hitting the road to share their message.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - February is Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about heart health and the lifesaving power of organ donation. One Fort Myers man knows this firsthand. 

Steve Hilfiker received a heart transplant during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, alongside his wife, Kim, he's turning his survival story into a mission of hope. 

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The backstory:

For Hilfiker, every beat of his heart is a gift he’s using to help others.  

"My health was deteriorating so rapidly with stage two heart failure," he said. "I couldn't wait for the surgery, because I knew I'd survive, and I knew I'd have a story to tell afterwards." 

Diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis, a rare disease that can lead to heart failure, Hilfiker faced a life-or-death battle that ultimately required a transplant at TGH Transplant in Tampa in August 2020. 

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Now that Hilfiker is feeling better, he and Kim are hitting the road to share their message. 

"I wouldn't change a thing either, because this empowered a very valuable mission to provide hope for people who are going through cardiac conditions and organ donation," said Hilfiker. 

The couple met at church and just recently got married. Kim lost her first husband to cancer and became a longtime advocate for cancer patients. Now, she is standing by Hilfiker’s side, and together, they’re forming a powerful team, one committed to education, awareness and inspiration.   

"It's a beautiful thing," said Kim. "I mean, not only did they save his life, they saved mine too. We both have hearts that are beating again. And that's something that's really critical to our message." 

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Big picture view:

Through their charitable organization, Foundation For Organ Donation (FODASA), they’re planning an RV tour across the eastern U.S., speaking at medical schools, hospitals and churches. 

"We are perfect for each other in so many ways, and it's been a beautiful journey ever since," Kim said. 

Their work doesn't stop there. Hilfiker is pursuing a theology degree to strengthen their message of faith and healing, while Kim expands her advocacy and event-planning efforts. 

"We're bringing hope for their treatment," said Hilfiker. "We're bringing hope for their survival. We're bringing hope for their families. We're bringing hope for the second chance." 

It's a love story built on resilience, faith and a shared mission that Hilfiker and Kim are proving that even in the face of life's biggest challenges, the heart is stronger than ever. 

Hilfiker helped produce four films – including two that screened at Cannes Film Festival. For more on the couple's mission, visit www.fodasacharity.org.

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