SEGMENT ONE

Open with animation of the human heart.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
What is the heart? For romantics, it’s a symbol of
love. That’s technically true. Emotions in the brain
can send signals to the heart to speed up! We all
love that feeling, right? But the heart is also doing
some serious business. The heart is a muscle with
four chambers that pump blood through our complex
circulatory system. It’s mind-boggling to think of all
the activity going on inside you this very minute!

DISSOLVE TO:

Animation of a train station in place of the heart. The animation follows the narrator’s description.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Think of the heart as a train station that sends
oxygen-rich blood cells throughout the human body.
These blood cells travel down the “tracks” of arteries
and capillaries to reach tissues and organs.
Oxygen is valuable cargo. It keeps your body’s cells
alive. Without oxygen, our organs and tissues would
die. Our very survival depends on these deliveries!

After cells use the oxygen, they create carbon
dioxide that is carried through the veins to the heart
and then to the lungs. We exhale carbon dioxide
and inhale oxygen, which starts the whole process
again. The heart is constantly at work! There is no
down time on this job.

When a doctor checks your heart with a stethoscope,
he or she can hear your heartbeats. Each heartbeat
is caused by contractions in the heart.

We see trains inside the train station, and hear a “thump, thump” noise (heartbeat).

SFX: THUMP THUMP

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
In fact, the heart beats about 100,000 times per day.
Wait a second? 100,000 times? How is this possible?
The heart generates its own electricity. An electrical
signal starts at the top of the heart and travels downward.

Electrified train tracks power the trains.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
This electrical signal triggers the muscle cells that cause
the heartbeat. This process is amazing, but not perfect.
Sometimes there are problems.

A train stops, and an animated TRAIN ENGINEER holds up a sign: “On Strike!”

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
No, not labor problems! Get back to work!

The Train Engineer takes down his sign, starts up the train, goes a little way, but stops again.

We see plaque blocking a tunnel.

The Train Engineer gets out of the train, and studies the plaque.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
None of us have perfect diets, but when we eat too much
fat, it can affect the heart. Cholesterol and calcium can
build up in the walls of arteries and turn into plaque.

This is called a “hardening of the arteries.” Plaque narrows
the arteries and blocks blood flow. This has to be fixed.

The Train Engineer sets up some dynamite and prepares to light it near the tunnel.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
No, we’re not using dynamite! Too dangerous! A doctor may
use a small laser to vaporize plaque inside a blocked artery.

A laser melts the plaque in the tunnel. The Train Engineer ducks so he doesn’t get zapped by the laser.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Sometimes a stent is placed in a blocked artery to
hold it open for blood to flow.

A tube goes through the plaque, and the train passes through the tube (through the tunnel).

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Other times a balloon catheter is used to open an
artery.

The balloon opens the tunnel up, deflates, and the train passes through the tunnel.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
A doctor may take a healthy artery or vein from
elsewhere in your body and create a new track.

A new piece of train track is laid down and goes around the tunnel. The train starts to go down the new track, but is blocked by a blood clot.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
When arteries are partially blocked by a blood clot, a
clot-dissolving medication is used to restore blood flow.

The blood clot is sprayed with medication and is dissolved. The train continues on its way.

While driving the train, the Train Engineer prepares to eat a hamburger, french fries and a milkshake.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Bad diets can cause heart problems…

The Train Engineer continues to eat.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
I said, bad diets can cause heart problems!

The Train Engineer drops his junk food.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
But switching to a good diet and getting regular exercise
can add years to your life.

The Train Engineer eats fruits and vegetables. He runs alongside the train.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Now, even if you have a good diet, there can be other
problems. A potassium imbalance, stress, or genetics
can cause electrical signals to misfire inside the heart.
When this happens, the heart goes from being a well-oiled
machine to total chaos.

Trains jump the tracks, suddenly coming to a stop, go backwards, crash, chaos… the Train Engineer is running for his life.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
When there are electrical problems, a defibrillator is used to                                       reset the heart cells at the same time so they can get back                                            in sync.

An animated TRAIN CONDUCTOR pushes buttons in a train station control room to “shock” the trains back to normal.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
There are other heart problems that can be caused by
genetics.

Animated family tree that shows the Train Conductor’s family. Everyone has a moustache like he does, including women, girls and babies.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
For example, a heart valve that doesn’t work right can
be passed down through a family tree.

The railroad track switch fails to work. One train, with the Train Conductor, is headed towards another train, with the Train Engineer.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
The good news is a faulty valve can be replaced with an
artificial valve made from a pig, cow, or human tissue.

A PIG DRESSED AS A TRAIN ENGINEER arrives to fix the switch, the trains go in the right directions, avoiding the crash.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
We are fortunate to live in a time of quick thinking pigs,
and medical progress. Doctors can prescribe medications
and perform surgeries to help our hearts. But how did we
get to this point in history? Let’s take a trip back in time to
the first heart transplant.

SEGMENT TWO

Show a train with “Back in Time” written on the side. The train travels through a dark tunnel. The train comes out the other side of the tunnel. There is a sign on the side of the track, or text on the screen (if that’s easier), that reads “1967.”

(END ANIMATION, LIVE ACTION BEGINS. ADD YELLOW TINT IN POST-PRODUCTION TO GIVE IT AN OLDER LOOK)

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HOSPITAL – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
The first heart transplant was performed by Dr. Christiaan
Barnard on 53-year-old Louis Washkansky on December
3, 1967 at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South
Africa.

MONTAGE of Dr. Barnard or the schools?

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Dr. Barnard grew up in a poor family, but was able to study
medicine at the University of Cape Town on two scholarships.
He later got a scholarship to the University of Minnesota where
he learned open heart surgery.

EXT. DOG KENNEL – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
During his studies, Dr, Barnard theorized that if a patient
could not be saved by open heart surgery, a heart transplant
might be an option. Dr. Barnard first practiced heart transplants
on dogs.

We hear dogs barking from inside the kennel, a pause, then dogs running away from the kennel.

INT. HOSPITAL – WAITING ROOM

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Eventually, Dr. Barnard’s studies and travels brought him
to Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town.

DR. BARNARD is talking to an OLDER MAN.

DR. BARNARD
I’m sorry, but your daughter did not survive the car accident.
The injury to her brain was just too extensive. We did all we
could.

OLDER MAN
(weeping)
Thank you for trying. She is so young, was so young,
a young woman. Very healthy.

DR. BARNARD
Yes she was. Uhh, sir, I don’t mean to sound callous or
disrespectful. I’m a father, I can’t imagine this happening to
one of my children. But your daughter, sir, she could be the
donor for the world’s first heart transplant.

OLDER MAN
(emotional, confused)
You could bring her back? Yes?

DR. BARNARD
No, but she could save a life. Her heart could save a man’s
life. We would transplant her heart into the man. But I need
your permission. We cannot do this without you. This could
change the world.

INT. HOSPITAL – OPERATING ROOM #1

DOCTOR #1 and DOCTOR #2 gently remove the young woman’s heart, place it in a cooling tray and take it into…

INT. HOSPITAL – OPERATING ROOM #2 – CONTINUOUS

Dr. Barnard is waiting with his MEDICAL TEAM. The patient, LOUIS WASHKANSKY, is unconscious on an operating table.

DR. BARNARD
We’ve got a problem.

DOCTOR #1
What? It’s a healthy heart, not damaged in the accident.
Chambers intact. No disease visible. It’s operable.

DR. BARNARD
Her heart is so small. Washkansky is a big man. He has
an enlarged heart. I don’t know if her heart can support
him. It’s not even as big as a normal man’s heart.

DOCTOR #2
What choice do we have? What chance does he have?

Dr. Barnard nods, and begins the transplant.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. HOSPITAL – OPERATING ROOM #2 – FIVE HOURS LATER

SUPER: “Five Hours Later”

Dr. Barnard and his team have finished the transplant. Washkansky is on a heart-lung machine.

DR. BERNARD
We have to keep him on the heart lung machine until
her heart starts pumping on its own.

Dr. Barnard and his team all look at each other waiting for the heart to beat.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. HOSPITAL – OPERATING ROOM #2 – A FEW MINUTES LATER

SUPER: “A Few Minutes Later, The Heart Has Not Started Beating”

Dr. Barnard and his team are still waiting for the heart to beat.

DR. BERNARD
Maybe the heart muscle is damaged.

DOCTOR #1
Can’t be. Impossible. I took it out myself–

DOCTOR #2
Shhh…

SFX: Faint heartbeat.

DR. BERNARD
Barely. But it’s something.

The medical staff look at each other. They continue to wait.

SFX: Stronger heartbeat.

DR. BERNARD
Getting stronger.

Dr. Bernard and his team look at each other for a moment and cheer!

DR. BERNARD
Hold on, hold on. We’ve got a new problem.

DOCTOR #2
What?

DR. BERNARD
I didn’t tell anyone we were doing this. No one in
hospital administration knows.

DOCTOR #1
You must be joking!

DR. BERNARD
You think they would let me take this chance?

DOCTOR #2
They’re going to find out.

DR. BERNARD
We can’t keep this quiet?

DOCTOR #1
It’s the world’s first heart transplant! Are you kidding?

DR. BERNARD
We’ll say it was an acute appendix. It was about to burst.
Emergency surgery. No one will know.

MONTAGE: Dr. Bernard on the covers of newspapers and magazines.

EXT. HOSPITAL GROUNDS – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
One of the lesser known heroes of the first heart
transplant was Naki Hamilton. He was originally hired
as a gardener at the hospital, but moved to the animal
laboratory. He went from planting seeds to harvesting
organs.

NAKI HAMILTON is tending to some shrubs when a dog goes running by. Hamilton runs after the dog.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Dr. Barnard’s success encouraged doctors in other countries
to attempt heart transplants, including the U.S.

EXT. STANFORD HOSPITAL – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
The first American adult heart transplant was performed
by Dr. Norman Shumway and Dr. Edward Stinson on
January 6, 1968, at Stanford University Hospital in California.

INT. HOSPITAL – ICU ROOM #1

MIKE KASPERAK is lying in a hospital bed. His wife FERNE is sitting in a chair at his side.

FERNE
The doctors say they can’t do anything for your heart disease.

MIKE KASPERAK
You really want this?

FERNE
I want you alive. I want you alive with me.

MIKE KASPERAK
Why? To do laundry? Clean floors?

FERNE
Since when do you do housework?

MIKE KASPERAK
They’ve never done this kind of surgery in the U.S.

FERNE
You want to go to South Africa?

MIKE KASPERAK
I don’t like flying. They’re talking about banning smoking
on planes, can you believe it?

Mike Kasperak lights up a cigarette.

FERNE
Are you crazy? You can’t smoke. You’re having a heart
transplant!

MIKE KASPERAK
Last one, last one, I promise.

INT. HOSPITAL – ICU ROOM #2

DR. EDWARD STINSON is talking to BILL WHITE. They are standing next to an empty hospital bed. The tone is very different from the earlier scene.

BILL WHITE
Heart transplant, like they did in Africa?

DR. EDWARD STINSON
Yes. Your wife, your late wife, would be the donor.

DEAD SILENCE.

DR. EDWARD STINSON
She suffered a brain hemorrhage, but her heart appears
to be strong.

BILL WHITE
Yeah. She always had a strong heart. A big heart for
people.

DEAD SILENCE.

DR. EDWARD STINSON
I realize this is a lot to process. But we, you, don’t
have a lot of time to decide.

BILL WHITE
I remember watching TV with Virginia last year. She was
amazed by that Dr. Bernard fella. She thought the donor
was brave, can’t remember that gal’s name. Virginia said:
“How marvelous to give someone else a chance to live.”

DR. EDWARD STINSON
Here’s that chance.

INT. OPERATING ROOM #1 – MINUTES LATER

Dr. Edward Stinson is removing Virginia-Mae White’s heart. He is assisted by a MEDICAL TEAM.

DR. EDWARD STINSON
You’re going to a better place, Virginia.

He places her heart in a cold container with saltwater. He quickly walks the heart into…

INT. OPERATING ROOM #2 – CONTINUOUS

DR. NORMAN SHUMWAY removes Kasperak’s heart. He and Dr. Stinson stare at Kasperak who is hooked up to a heart-lung machine.

CLOSE UP ON DR. NORMAN SHUMWAY AND DR. EDWARD STINSON

DR. EDWARD STINSON (VOICEOVER)
We both stood there and stared into this huge, empty cavity for
a good half a minute. It was a magical moment.

WIDE SHOT of the medical team standing around Kasperak as Dr. Norman Shumway begins the transplant.

DR. EDWARD STINSON (VOICEOVER)
Dr. Shumway did the transplant, but Virginia’s heart didn’t
start beating. I wondered if I had removed it correctly. I went
over and over that in my mind for almost half an hour when…

SFX: Heartbeat

The Medical Team sighs with relief, one by one around the room.

INT. HOSPITAL – ICU ROOM #1 – LATER

Kasperak is sleeping with his wife FERNE at his side.

FERNE
How did it go? He was there a long time.

DR. EDWARD STINSON
Three and a half hours. Dr. Shumway did a great job
and… what the hell?

Dr. Edward Stinson walks over to the window.

FERNE
What is it?

DR. EDWARD STINSON
Reporters. Climbing over the wall to get a picture!

Dr. Edward Stinson quickly pulls the window drapes closed.

FERNE
How many?

DR. EDWARD STINSON
We’re going to need a bigger wall.

Dr. Edward Stinson picks up a phone in the room.

DR. EDWARD STINSON
(into the phone)
Nurse Miller, I want security sent up to Kasperak’s room.
It’s turning into a circus!

NURSE MILLER (VOICEOVER)
(excited)
It’s like a three-ring circus! People are everywhere. We
went down to the basement and saw the cameras, the
equipment, the news anchors! It’s so exciting! I think I
saw Walter Cronkite! Do you think I’ll be on TV?

EXT. HOSPITAL – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Fifteen days after the surgery, Mike Kasperak passed away
from complications, but Dr. Stinson made sure his patient
was never in pain and was there by his side. Kasperak’s wife
had no regrets.

FERNE (VOICEOVER)
He had 15 days extra that I don’t think he would have had.
I have no regrets, and I don’t think Mike did either.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Like Dr. Barnard’s transplant, this procedure led to advances
in heart medicine. Now let’s travel forward in time to see some
important dates in heart-related medical advancement.

SEGMENT THREE

An animated train travels through a tunnel. There is a sign on the side of the track, or text on the screen (if that’s easier), that reads “1980.”

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. KITCHEN

MARY GOHLKE is reading a newspaper while eating breakfast.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
In 1980, 45-year-old newspaper advertising executive
Mary Gohlke read about the drug cyclosporine in one
of the newspaper’s articles. Cyclosporine helped block
the body’s rejection of a donor heart.

However, cyclosporine had not yet been approved in the
U.S. Gohlke, who had primary pulmonary hypertension,
desperately needed a heart-lung transplant.

Gohlke picks up her telephone and dials.

GOHLKE
(into the phone)
Executive editor please… I don’t care if he’s busy, this is
important. Tell him it’s Gohlke.

INT. NEWSPAPER OFFICE

The EXECUTIVE EDITOR is on his phone.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR
(into the phone)
I don’t care if the senator is busy, this is important. Tell
him it’s…

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
The senator was able to get cyclosporine approved for heart
lung transplants. And Gohlke had the world’s first successful
heart-lung transplant at Stanford on March 9, 1981. Dr.
Shumway and Dr. Bruce Reitz performed the milestone
surgery.

INT. HOSPITAL – OPERATING ROOM

A MEDICAL TEAM is performing the surgery on Gohlke. DR. BRUCE REITZ turns to the CAMERA to address the audience, breaking the “fourth wall.”

DR. BRUCE REITZ
The appearance of Mary Gohlke’s totally empty chest was
a dramatic moment. I wondered, “Is this really going to work
out?” But the implantation went smoothly.

INT. HOSPITAL – ICU

Gohlke is lying in bed and talking on the phone.

GOHLKE
(in the phone)
Executive editor please… I don’t care if he’s busy, this is
important. Tell him it’s Gohlke. I made it!

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Up to this point, no lung transplant patient in the world had
survived more than 23 days, but Gohlke went for 5 years
with her new heart and lungs By 2014, there had been
been 500 lung transplants at Stanford.

GOHLKE
That’s right, and none of that would have happened
without me. They owe me! Every single one of them!

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Ms. Gohlke, please. You got a book deal.

GOHKLE
Yes, I did. Did you read it? The book was called: “I’ll
Take Tomorrow: The Story of a Courageous Woman
Who Dared to Subject Herself to a Medical Experiment–
the First Successful Heart-lung Transplant.”

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
How did it sell?

GOHKLE
The title was bigger than the check.

DISSOLVE TO:

Animated train traveling through a tunnel. There is a sign on the side of the track, or text on the screen (if that’s easier), that reads “1982.”

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HOSPITAL – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
On Dec. 2, 1982, Seattle dentist Barney Clark was the
first person to receive a permanent artificial heart. The
implant was performed by Dr. William DeVries at the
University of Utah.

INT. HOSPITAL – RECOVERY ROOM

BARNEY CLARK is lying in a hospital bed recovering from his surgery. As the CAMERA pulls back we see wires leading out of his chest to a large machine.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Clark received the Jarvik 7, a heart-shaped pump,
which was connected to a compressor, the size of
a washing machine.

BARNEY CLARK
Uhh, when can we disconnect this?

A DOCTOR shakes his head “no.”

BARNEY CLARK
Wait a second, I’m stuck to this thing?

The Doctor shakes his head “yes.”

BARNEY CLARK
Just pull the plug, pull the plug!

Clark’s wife, UNA LOY, is sitting nearby. She turns to the CAMERA, breaking the “fourth wall.”

UNA LOY
It wasn’t easy for Barney, but he believed in the
artificial-heart concept and wanted to make a
contribution.

DISSOLVE TO:

Animated train traveling through a tunnel. There is a sign on the side of the track, or text on the screen (if that’s easier), that reads “1984.”

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HOSPITAL – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
On June 9, 1984, a 4-year-old boy, James Lovette,
became the world’s first successful pediatric heart
transplant.

INT. HOSPITAL – OPERATING ROOM

DR. ERIC ROSE and his MEDICAL TEAM are operating on JAMES LOVETTE.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
The six-hour transplant was performed by Dr. Eric Rose
at New York–Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.

DR. ERIC ROSE
Scalpel… suction… (stops for a few beats)…magnifying
glasses.

NURSE
Pardon?

DR. ERIC ROSE
Magnifying glasses.

NURSE
What?

DR. ERIC ROSE
I need magnifying glasses. His organs are so small.

NURSE
Uhh, can I get back to you?

EXT. COLLEGE – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Lovette survived for 21 years. He later had a
second heart transplant, but beat the odds. He
graduated from college and received a master’s
degree. He passed away in his sleep during
his first week of medical school. Three different
hearts had beat in his chest during his amazing
lifetime.

DISSOLVE TO:

Animated train traveling through a tunnel. There is a sign on the side of the track, or text on the screen (if that’s easier), that reads “1998.”

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. OPERATING ROOM

DR. MICHAEL DEBAKEY and his MEDICAL TEAM perform the first battery-powered heart
pump surgery.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Dr. Michael DeBakey implanted the first battery-powered
heart pump in November 1998 in Berlin, Germany. The
patient was a 56-year-old man. The pump was implanted
just below the heart. A tube connected the heart pump
to the heart.

DISSOLVE TO:

Stock footage of NASA Mission Control Center, space shuttles.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
The heart pump was co-designed by NASA engineer
David Saucier who had been a heart transplant patient
of Dr. DeBakey in 1984.

Saucier and other NASA employees worked evenings
and weekends on the heart pump’s design. They
adapted technology from space shuttle fuel pumps.

DISSOLVE TO:

Animated train traveling through a tunnel. There is a sign on the side of the track, or text on the screen (if that’s easier), that reads “2001.”

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HOSPITAL – DAY

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Dr. Robert Dowling and Dr. Laman Gray Jr. implanted
the first self-contained artificial heart, the AbioCor, in
59-year-old Robert Tools at Jewish Hospital in
Louisville, Kentucky on Jul 2, 2001.

ROBERT TOOLS, still dressed in his patient robe, walks out of the hospital, and over to an ice cream stand.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
After receiving the plastic-and-titanium heart, Tools
made a strong recovery early on. Tools was able to
make trips from the hospital to local businesses.

Tools goes to buy an ice cream cone. The ICE CREAM VENDOR hears a “whirring” sound.

SFX: WHIRRING NOISE

ICE CREAM VENDOR
Do you hear that?

ROBERT TOOLS
That’s my new heart.

ICE CREAM VENDOR
Your heart?

ROBERT TOOLS
Yep. As long as I can hear the sound, I know I’m still
here.

The Ice Cream Vendor makes the ice cream cone.

ICE CREAM VENDOR
Here you go, on the house.

ROBERT TOOLS
Thanks.

ICE CREAM VENDOR
I don’t hear it.

ROBERT TOOLS
What?

ICE CREAM VENDOR
I don’t hear the whirring.

ROBERT TOOLS
I do!

ICE CREAM VENDOR
I hear buzzing, no whirring.

ROBERT TOOLS
It’s whirring.

ICE CREAM VENDOR
That’s buzzing. I know buzzing.

ROBERT TOOLS
You’re changing the whirring to buzzing. Are you
trying to kill me?

The Ice Cream Vendor takes the cone back.

DISSOLVE TO:

SEGMENT FOUR

The animated Train Engineer walks on screen dressed as a doctor while the Narrator speaks.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
User-friendly technology is helping people live longer today.
Patients have access to medical devices that were only used
by doctors a few years ago. Hey, wait a second, aren’t you
the train engineer?

The Train Engineer shakes his head “no.”

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Yeah, pretty sure you are the train engineer. Your segment
is over. You need to go.

The Train Engineer walks off screen.

CUT TO: PICTURES/VIDEOS OF MEDICAL DEVICES AS DESCRIBED BY THE NARRATOR. WE DON’T HAVE TO USE ALL OF THESE, JUST WHATEVER WE NEED TIME-WISE.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Kardia is an app and a device that allows you to track
your blood pressure, check your heart beat, record your
own EKGs and share your heart information with your
doctor remotely.

The COALA Heart Monitor System is a combination
of a stethoscope that analyzes your heart sounds and
an EKG that can screen heart conditions.

The MOCAheart is a heart tracker that monitors your
heart rate and blood oxygen level by simply scanning
your thumbs.

Similar to a pulse oximeter in a hospital, the MOCAheart
tracks your pulse wave velocity– the speed your blood
travels through vessels. High pulse wave velocity can be
a sign of stiffness in arteries and/or high blood pressure.

Now, here are some of the new high-tech inventions that
are being used by doctors.

The Train Engineer peeks into the camera from the side. He is still dressed as a doctor.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Uhh, thanks, but we’re done with you.

The Train Engineer freezes.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Thanks. Goodbye. Again.

The Train Engineer disappears.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
For instance, some cardiologists are placing dime-sized
sensors inside heart patients to remotely monitor them
at home.

Cardiologists are able to learn in real-time if a patient’s
heart condition is getting worse. This can reduce a patient’s
chances of being rushed to a hospital. Doctors can also
adjust medications based on this info.

Speaking of medications, there are new meds helping heart
patients.

The Train Engineer walks on screen dressed as a pharmacist.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Hey you! We know you are not a pharmacist. Leave the
studio now, or we’re going to have you arrested.

The Train Engineer runs off screen.

CUT TO PICTURES/VIDEOS OF MEDICATIONS AND DEVICES AS DESCRIBED BY THE NARRATOR. WE DON’T HAVE TO USE ALL OF THESE, JUST WHATEVER WE NEED TIME-WISE.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Experimental drugs Omecamtiv Mecarbil and Mavacamten
appear to improve the ability of heart muscles to pump
blood on the left side of the heart.

Another new drug, Vericiguat, is the first medication for
people with chronic heart failure. Vericiguat makes it
easier for the heart to pump blood through the lungs.
That’s a breath of fresh air!

Doctors also have some new toys to help them improve the
lives of heart patients.

Renal denervation — radio-frequency energy — helps
people who have high blood pressure and do not
improve with traditional medications.

Doctors use renal denervation to open blood vessels
to allow more blood flow to the kidneys to lower blood
pressure.

A HeartFlow FFRct (fractional flow reserve) Analysis can
create a 3D image of a patient’s arteries.

This high-tech imaging gives doctors an amazing view
of the arteries, and helps physicians treat heart disease.

A transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can be
used to replace the heart’s main valve when it does not
open right. TAVR is a good choice for patients who are
at high risk for open-heart surgery.

An implant called the Watchman, about the size of a
quarter, helps stop blood clots from moving into the
bloodstream, which can be fatal. The Watchman can
save lives.

An ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) is
a portable heart-lung machine that removes carbon
dioxide from blood cells and helps pump oxygen-filled
cells into the body.

Patients who are waiting for or recovering from a heart
transplant can be helped by ECMO machines.

DISSOLVE TO:

SEGMENT FIVE

INT. HOSPITAL – ROOM

A DOCTOR hands a HEART PATIENT, dressed in street clothes, some printed instructions.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Today’s heart procedures can literally give you a new
body! You are a part of heart history just like those
who came before you.

Now, let’s talk about what happens after heart transplant
surgery.

Keep your winning streak going by following your
doctor’s instructions. Eat a low-fat and low-sodium diet.

HEART PATIENT
Do I have to give up my favorite foods?

DOCTOR
Our dietitian can help you learn about healthy tasty
foods.

HEART PATIENT
Can I get fries with that?

DOCTOR
Most importantly you need to take your medications
as directed. A lot of scientific study has gone into
these meds over the years.

The Doctor hands the Heart Patient some pill bottles and prescriptions.

HEART PATIENT
This looks like a buffet at my grandmother’s house.

DOCTOR
You will be taking immunosuppressive medications.
These meds make sure your body does not reject
your transplant.

HEART PATIENT
Wait a second, my body could reject the transplant?
Maybe I should stay at the hospital a little longer,
you know, like a few years?

DOCTOR
You should be perfectly fine. Let us know if you’re
experiencing any pain or unusual side effects.

HEART PATIENT
Unusual side effects? Like coming face-to-face with
eternity?

DOCTOR
It’s normal to feel anxious, just remember your heart
transplant was a success and you’re being released
because your vital signs and tests are good. Do you
have someone to drive you home?

HEART PATIENT
My mother. She’s very responsible.

INT. DRUG STORE

The HEART PATIENT’S MOTHER is arguing with a CASHIER.

HEART PATIENT’S MOTHER
You owe me eleven cents!

CASHIER
No ma’am. I’ll show the receipt again.

HEART PATIENT’S MOTHER
On my life, you owe me!

CASHIER
No ma’am.

HEART PATIENT’S MOTHER
My son just had a heart transplant! You’re trying to
steal eleven cents from a senior citizen! You should
be ashamed!

EXT. HOSPITAL – DAY

The Heart Patient waits, but his mother has not arrived. He leaves the hospital and walks across the street to a train station.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment. Be sure
to go to all of your doctor appointments, and call your
doctor if you are having problems.

The Heart Patient stops walking.

HEART PATIENT
Am I hearing voices? Is this one of those unusual side
effects? Maybe I better get back to the hospital.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
You’re fine. This is the narrator. It’s also a good idea to
keep a record of your test results and a list of the
medicines you are taking.

The Heart Patient searches his bag from the hospital.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
If this sounds like a lot to remember, don’t worry, your
transplant team gave you personalized instructions
before you leave the hospital.

INT. TRAIN STATION

The CAMERA pans over the architecture of the train station, to a leaky plumbing pipe, to our now confident-looking Heart Patient checking his discharge instructions.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
You want to keep your body healthy and strong, just
like our train station. You don’t want any future problems
like bad plumbing.

HEART PATIENT
You know, I’m feeling okay. I actually feel pretty good.
Nothing bad is going to happen. I’m fine. I’m in the
middle of a train station, surrounded by people, police
and vagrants.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
See, I told you.

You probably started a cardiac rehabilitation program in
the hospital. You will continue with this program after you
go home.

The good news is most heart transplant patients are able to  resume an active lifestyle, including sports and working.

INT. SUBWAY TRAIN
The Heart Patient gets on the subway train with other PEOPLE who seem to pick up on his outward confidence.

NARRATOR (VOICE OVER)
You’ve received an amazing second chance that most
people never get. You have a great opportunity to do
all the things that you’ve wanted, but never got around
to.

Your new life can be full of adventure. You can be a
hero and inspiration to others who may be facing their
own heart challenges. Science builds on each success,
and you’re part of that success.

THE END.