Around 3 a.m. on Christmas morning, Carl Anderson got the news he’d been waiting for.
There was a match for the heart transplant Anderson needed due to congestive heart failure.
Anderson, of Atlanta, has been spent months on the transplant list waiting for a new heart, according to 11Alive. The Delta Airlines employee and father of four underwent surgery earlier this week.
"A true gift of life for Carl, for his wife getting her husband back and for his children having their dad for a bit longer in this life," a post on a GoFundMe page set up to help with his medical costs reads. "Christmas 2019 has indeed been filled with many blessings."
He underwent surgery, which stretched on several hours, and came through with “minimal bleeding and is now in the Cardiac ICU unit where they will watch him closely,” according to the post.
Anderson’s friend Betty Carrigan set up the fundraiser last summer, after Anderson was admitted to the hospital. What started as a routine procedure, ultimately showed that Anderson’s heart wasn’t pumping enough blood.
The campaign has raised more than $41,000 to date to help him and his family with medical bills, although the goal is set at $100,000.
“There are several other out of pocket costs that his family will experience throughout this journey, and your financial assistance is certainly appreciated,” the page reads.
Anderson and his wife, Felicia, have four kids. According to the GoFundMe page, Anderson works as a Manager of Employee Recognition at Delta.
An update posted Thursday said Anderson is resting comfortably at Emory's cardiac intensive care unit with his new heart beating strong.