Heart transplant GP celebrates birth of baby girl

Credit: Dr Kocchar on her bench. Credit: BHF.

By Lily Canter

A GP who underwent a lifesaving heart transplant after developing multiple organ failure has given birth to a baby girl.

Dr Sanjana Kochar, 32, who had her daughter in July, has spoken about her recovery as part of a British Heart Foundation (BHF) campaign.

A striking red bench in Otterspool Park, Liverpool, has been named in her honour as a ‘living memorial’.

Kochar’s heart function had fallen to 12% by October 2022, when she was rushed to Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and placed on the urgent transplant list.

She received a donor heart the following month and was discharged on Christmas Eve.

Pregnancy after a heart transplant is considered higher risk and immunosuppressant medication needs to be managed carefully.

'A symbol of hope and resilience'

Kochar was first diagnosed with heart failure aged 21 after developing breathlessness and palpitations while studying at the University of Liverpool. Her condition is now believed to have been caused by cardiomyopathy.