Born with a congenital heart defect, Kurt Brandau had a difficult health journey, which included a handful of surgeries by the time he was 40. When he came to Mayo Clinic, his heart was strained, and his kidneys were failing. After two transplants, Kurt is now healthy and grateful to his care teams.  

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By the time Kurt Brandau reached his forties, he had already had five heart surgeries.

His difficult health journey began at birth. His mom, Kay DeHart, an operating room nurse at the time, was the first to notice his labored breathing. She took him to a doctor in their home state of Virginia, insisting something was wrong.

The doctor investigated her concerns and determined Kurt had a condition known as congenital aortic valve stenosis. This is a type of heart valve disease in which the valve between the lower left heart chamber and the body's main artery is narrowed and doesn't open fully, reducing the blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body.

When he was 7 months old, Kurt had his first procedure, an aortic commissurotomy, to widen the opening of the aortic valve to improve blood flow through the heart. At age 2, he underwent the procedure a second time. Although the procedures were considered moderately successful, Kurt was still in heart failure.

In 1980, at age 7, Kurt got his first mechanical valve to help his heart function better. He did well for the next seven years, experiencing everything childhood had to offer, including camping, basketball and tennis. But in 1989, his heart started failing again.

Doctors determined Kurt was outgrowing his mechanical valve, so he had his second valve replacement. This time, he had relief from his symptoms for more than 20 years.

In 2014, he had his third and final valve replacement. Unfortunately, relief was minimal.

That's when Kurt reached out to the cardiology team at Mayo Clinic in Florida. What they told him would set him down an unexpected but life-changing path, for which he is grateful today.

Grappling with unexpected news

"I think you're probably headed for a transplant."

A Mayo doctor was the first to deliver this news to Kurt transparently and openly. He remembers the doctor's words, the environment, and most of all, the emotions that followed.

"I was devastated," he says. "A heart transplant was not something that had been discussed with me in all my life."

Kurt, his wife, Jessica Jones-Brandau, and mom, who accompanied him to the appointment, all cried.

"They took us back to a private room where we could discuss it," Kurt says. "It was emotional."

Kurt listened as his doctor described the strain on his heart from his previous surgeries and the potential need for a heart transplant. He also understood that due to the seriousness of his case, Mayo would do the procedure in Rochester.

For the next five years, Kurt grappled with the idea of a heart transplant. Meanwhile, his symptoms were steadily worsening.

I had an incredible nurse in the ICU after my heart transplant ... I felt like he was my brother taking care of me. That's the best way I can explain it.

Kurt Brandau

"Being born with this, I have a hard head about symptoms," he says. "I think things were a lot worse than I realized. I fought through a lot of stuff."

Eventually, fighting through wasn't an option. Kurt's fatigue and shortness of breath became debilitating.

"If I was walking on even terrain, I managed to do OK," he says. "If I were walking on an incline, I would get tightness in my chest and constriction around my neck. I had to stop doing many things I loved, which set me back mentally."

It became apparent to Kurt and his wife what they needed to do.

In 2020, they relocated to Byron, Minnesota, made an appointment with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and got on the heart transplant list.

In November 2022, Kurt underwent a heart transplant. A year later, he underwent another transplant — this time for a kidney.

Kidney transplant a year after heart transplant

Kurt remembers his first impressions arriving at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

"I remember how great the people were. My sister, Paige Jasinski, accompanied me to my appointments, and we were met with positivity and understanding," Kurt says. "They wanted to make sure they were there for us in any way we needed and helped Paige feel confident and at ease about the enormous task of being my caregiver after the surgery."

Unlike the devastation Kurt felt six years earlier, on the day of his heart transplant, he was stoic.

"I knew what I was up against," Kurt says. "I saw this surgery as just one more challenge I needed to tackle, and my care team eased any fears I had."

The procedure, though complicated, was successful. His recovery was hard but made easier by the amazing people who took care of him afterward.

"I had an incredible nurse in the ICU after my heart transplant," Kurt says. "He was very attentive and genuine. I felt like he was my brother taking care of me. That's the best way I can explain it. I will always remember him and the rest of the ICU team."

One factor that made recovery challenging was that a side effect of his failing heart was kidney damage. Kurt ended up going on dialysis for a few months after his heart transplant.

"My kidney doctors were hoping dialysis would help my kidneys awaken themselves," Kurt says.

But, after a few months of dialysis, they determined it was best to get Kurt on the kidney transplant list. In May 2023, he was evaluated for kidney transplantation. In July 2023, he was put on the list. In November 2023, he underwent a kidney transplant — a year and a day after his heart transplant.

Kurt called that procedure a piece of cake compared to his heart procedure.

"I was out of there in four or five days," Kurt says.

After that, he never looked back.

Reclaiming his life

Kurt says life since the heart and kidney transplants has been great. He returns to Mayo for ongoing blood work and regular biopsies, but aside from that, he's back to enjoying his life.

One thing he's most proud of is that he's back to working full-time, which he hasn't been able to do in 10 years.

When my wife and I were making these big life decisions, one thing that never faltered was that we knew we could trust Mayo.

Kurt Brandau

"While I was sick, I got a medical certification to become a pedorthist and help people with foot issues. I was never sure if I would actually be able to work in the career — it was just something I wanted to accomplish," Kurt says. "Then, all this happened."

Now healthy again, Kurt works as a pedorthist, making foot orthotics and shoe customizations for people with diabetes or severe biomechanical issues.

"I'm in the process of getting off disability insurance. I'm financially more independent, which is a big help to my wife and me," Kurt says. "It's like I have a new life."

Kurt says he owes his new life to the incredible doctors, nurses and staff at Mayo Clinic.

"Mayo Clinic changed my life," he says. "They have this different way of talking to you and making you feel like their only patient. It's been remarkable to me. When my wife and I were making these big life decisions, one thing that never faltered was that we knew we could trust Mayo."

"I put my life in their hands, and they took good care of it," Kurt says. "I love them."

What's next for Kurt? Perhaps a small backpacking trip.

"I'd have to get all new gear because I sold it when I was sick," he says with a joyful laugh, knowing he can once again experience the things he loves.