An iconic red bench has been unveiled in Liverpool to recognise a local GP whose life was saved by a heart transplant after she was admitted to hospital with multiple organ failure.
Dr Sanjana Kochar, 32, who trained at University of Liverpool was first diagnosed with heart failure at age 21 when she began to experience breathlessness and palpitations.
Cardiologists at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where her family were living, made the diagnosis after carrying out numerous tests. She underwent many more tests in both London and Newcastle and it is now believed that her heart failure was caused by cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle.
Sanjana had an ICD fitted in 2014 to protect her from cardiac arrest. Over the years her heart function continued to decline from 35 per cent to 12 per cent in October 2022 when she was admitted to Freeman Hospital with multiple organ failure and placed on the urgent heart transplant list.
She was fortunate to receive the gift of a donated heart just a month later – undergoing transplant surgery in late November 2022 and was discharged from hospital on Christmas Eve. Her new heart gave Sanjana a new lease of life and she has reached milestones like hiking, which had been impossible for years. In November 2023, on the anniversary of her transplant, she became engaged to her partner Paul. They married a year later, and Sanjana danced at their wedding – something that she thought she may never live to do.
Sanjana’s bench has been placed in Otterspool Park overlooking the River Mersey. BHF worked with Saatchi & Saatchi and Raw Research to identify cardiovascular disease survivors and suitable locations, with Sanjana’s bench installed thanks to the work of Liverpool City Council.
Sanjana said: “This bench is such a special reminder that I am alive today after surviving heart failure and receiving a life-saving heart transplant. So often, benches are a tribute after someone has passed, but this BHF living memorial is so meaningful because it gives me the chance to reflect on my journey, including the dark days in hospital waiting for an urgent transplant, while also celebrating how far I have come in the three years since – and the fact that I now have a future to look forward to.
“Otterspool Park is incredibly special to me. I have spent over 15 years growing up and living in Liverpool. I went to university here, work nearby as a GP, and feel deeply connected to the community. So much of my life has unfolded in this city.
“Before my transplant, even walking through this park could leave me breathless, and I often struggled just to get from one end to the other. Now, after my transplant, I can walk the same paths with ease. It’s a place where I can reflect on my journey, spend time with my husband, and bring family and friends to enjoy the outdoors together.
“Having my bench here is deeply meaningful. It’s a symbol of hope, resilience, and the gift of life I’ve been given. Every time I visit, I’m reminded of how far I’ve come and how precious every moment is.
“Sitting here with my loved ones, I feel immense gratitude for every extra day of life I can now enjoy as a result of the care I have received and the important research that BHF provides.
“I hope this bench sparks conversations about heart disease and the importance of organ donation, helping to raise awareness about heart disease in young people as an often-overlooked group.
“It serves as a symbol of resilience, showing that even in the darkest times, there is the possibility of a brighter future. For me, it represents gratitude for the care I received, for the generosity of my donor, and for the life-changing research that BHF supports.
“I hope that others who sit here, whether they are patients, families, or friends, feel the same sense of community, connection, and support that I have found through the BHF. More than anything, I hope it reminds people to cherish every day, celebrate life, and find strength and courage even in challenging times.”
Sanjana is one of dozens of people who have bravely shared their story on camera as part of a new national campaign by British Heart Foundation (BHF).
To mark 65 years of BHF funding lifesaving research, the charity is unveiling 65 red benches across the UK in tribute to those living with cardiovascular disease, including those who have undergone heart transplants.
Behind every bench is a powerful real-life story of someone living with a cardiovascular condition – and thanks to research, they can survive to enjoy life with their loved ones.
Every three minutes, someone in the UK dies from cardiovascular disease, with the condition affecting more than eight million people in the UK alone.
However, a new survey commissioned by BHF of 2,000 UK adults living with cardiovascular disease has found that they can face stigma and shame.
According to the survey:
- Over half (55 per cent) said they have felt judged or embarrassed about their condition – with one in three (36 per cent) of those saying they have encountered instances where people think it is self-inflicted.
- Two in five (45 per cent) said they would feel uncomfortable talking about their condition with people they meet for the first time – with almost a quarter (23 per cent) revealing they have even chosen not to tell their own children about their condition.
- Meanwhile, around half (48 per cent) said they had experienced challenges with their personal relationships due to their condition, with two in three (65 per cent) saying they had experienced challenges with their mental health.
- And half (50 per cent) feel cardiovascular disease is not taken as seriously as other conditions, while two in three (68 per cent) say it is not well understood. With the disease able to affect anyone, three in four (73 per cent) agreed that people think it only affects certain demographics, such as older people.
British Heart Foundation hopes that the red benches will encourage others to open up about their experience of living with cardiovascular disease, and help raise awareness across the UK.
The charity is also urging people for donations so they can help fund more groundbreaking research to keep the nation’s hearts beating.
Currently, a heart transplant is the only effective treatment for some people living with cardiovascular disease. BHF has funded research into heart transplantation since the early 1960s, even before the UK’s first heart transplant in 1968. BHF-funded Professors Donald Ross, Donald Longmore and Jane Somerville were part of the team who performed this first transplant.
BHF-funded research has also helped make transplants safer and increased the number of hearts available for those who need them. In 1985, the BHF-backed Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub’s pioneering work at Imperial College London to uncover why the body rejects donor hearts. His research helped to improve transplant survival rates for people like Sanjana. But rejection is still a challenge and BHF continues to fund the search for solutions.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at British Heart Foundation said: “Sanjana’s story shows the true reality of living with cardiovascular disease, and we are so grateful that they are courageously sharing their experiences to help others.
“Despite being one of the UK’s biggest killers, our new findings show cardiovascular disease is still misunderstood or not taken seriously – and that those living with it face judgement and challenges.
“By sharing the stories of people who live with cardiovascular disease on our iconic red benches across the UK, we hope to start more conversations that change dangerous misconceptions. Research will help us save and improve more lives, but the only way we can fund the scientific breakthroughs of tomorrow is thanks to the public’s generous donations.”
