Heart transplant patient Dave Hunt enjoys a meal in California with his wife, Michelle

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Lifeline of Ohio spoke with heart recipient Dave Hunt, 48, about his transplant miracle in 2009 and the depth of gratitude he has for his donor. Dave’s heart-filled story, in his own words follows.

Opening my own wine bar/bistro in Columbus was my lifelong dream. As an entrepreneur, I put a lot of love and hard work into making that dream come true. I cut the ribbon on my bistro in January 2008 and was excited for this new business venture. On just the third day we were open, I noticed I had developed a cough. Not wanting it to worsen, I went in for what I thought would be a brief visit to a doctor for some medication, but it turned into a devastating diagnosis — my heart was failing.