Human heart left on Southwest flight delivered on time

The human heart left on board a recent Southwest flight from Seattle was not assigned to a patient, Sierra Donor Services said. Like a mishandled bag, the human organ was mistakenly kept on the connecting flight instead of being taken out of the cargo hold in Seattle, causing the Dallas-bound flight to turn around. The heart was en route to an area tissue processor to recover valves for "future surgical procedures." "There was no intended recipient," a spokesperson said Thursday. "While this gift was rerouted, it was received unharmed… to prepare the valves for future transplant." Southwest described the Sunday evening incident in a statement, referring to the transplant organ on Flight 3606 as "a life-critical cargo shipment" that was "intended to stay in Seattle for delivery to a local hospital." However, the human heart was intended for LifeNet Health, a tissue processor in Renton, Washintong., where a contracted courier ultimately transported the organ. Despite the delay, the heart was delivered 12 hours before it would have been unusable. "Out of respect for the family of this donor, we reached out to them to keep them apprised of this development," said Monica Johnson, Executive Director of Sierra Donor Services. "They are relieved their loved one’s heart valves were received and will be able to help others."<br/>