Albany graduate received heart transplant at 14, encourages people to become organ donor

ALBANY – Ben Brantley said he remembers the moment he lay in his hospital bed, his family by his side, as doctors explained he would need another heart in order to live. 

He was only 14 at the time, and he said he didn’t fully understand what was happening.

“I was lost and confused,” Brantley said. “In my mind, that meant somebody else would have to die in order for me to live, and I wasn’t ready for that.”

It took weeks to find a match. Then, a call came through: “We’ve got a heart.” 

Brantley’s father, Jerry Brantley, a local pastor, said his son’s surgery was the longest day of his life. But it was successful. Now, four years later, Ben Brantley’s family got to watch him receive his high school diploma. The beat of his donor’s heart carried him across stage at the 2025 Monroe Comprehensive High School graduation ceremony. 

In the last four years, the Brantley family has become strong advocates for organ donorship, sharing Ben Brantley’s story to encourage people to sign up. 

“To be able to see my son come from a bed of affliction to actually walking and graduating high school, it gives you another perspective of life,” Jerry Brantley said. “We take things for granted until tragedy knocks on our door. It wasn’t money or education that could bring him back. It was just someone who decided to check the box on an application to say they wanted to be an organ donor … and now my son is still alive today.” 

There are more than 3,000 people on the kidney transplant list in Georgia, according to the LifeLink Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery of life-saving organs and tissue for transplantations. More than half of Georgians awaiting a transplant or a kidney are black – about 76% are minorities. Yet only about 37% of recovered organ donors at LifeLink of Georgia were African American or Hispanic. 

August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, an annual observance dedicated to raising awareness about the critical need for diverse organ, eye and tissue donors. It’s meant to highlight that patients from black, indigenous and other communities of color have a disproportionately high need for transplants. Courtney Proctor, LifeLink’s Georgia Public Affairs coordinator, said this is due to higher rates of chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. 

The hope is that by increasing the number of donors in these communities, more lives will be saved.

“One donor can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of 75-plus people,” Proctor said. “Thirteen-plus people die per day waiting for a transplant. When you talk about the beautiful things that organ tissue donation can do, it helps somebody else continue their legacy.”  

Proctor said LifeLink also emphasizes preventative measures that hinder the development of chronic illness, like exercising, eating healthy and regularly going to the doctor.

However, he said, sometimes people are born with conditions, and it’s important to be aware of family history, like in Ben Brantley’s case. 

Jerry Brantley said he and his wife originally thought their son was just trying to get out of housework. They decided to explore his fatigue further, and doctors discovered Ben Brantley had dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle becomes enlarged and weakened. 

It was the same condition that killed Jerry Brantley’s father.

Recovery after Ben Brantley’s surgery was a monthslong process, as he had to relearn how to walk and move around. 

“When I first came out of surgery, I couldn’t do anything at all, but after a while, they started getting me in this little chair … and I could play games, start walking around, do exercises and read a book every night,” Ben Brantley said. 

Each year, Jerry Brantley sends a Mother’s Day card to the mother of his son’s heart donor, honoring the child who gave his son life. The Brantleys celebrate two birthdays each year – Ben’s and the donor’s who gave him their heart. 

“I’m grateful for the family who gave me their child’s heart,” Ben Brantley said. “Being able to be out in the world and enjoy my life again and do what I want because the donor’s family helped me out is truly a blessing.” 

In May, Ben Brantley graduated high school. This fall, he’ll begin attending Columbus State University. He’s working on a book that tells his story. It’ll be titled “Still Here for a Reason.” 

“If you want another opportunity to give life, this is the perfect opportunity,” Jerry Brantley said. “My son was pretty much on his deathbed, and because of an organ donor, I’m able to still have my child here.” 

People can sign up to be or check their donor restoration at https://mystorycontinues.com/.