Bloomington man back home after heart transplant

INDIANAPOLIS — After months of waiting and dozens of hours of rehab, Jeff Taber says he's excited to be returning to the "fun chaos" of home.

Taber, who had a Congenital Heart Defect, spent more than two years on the heart transplant list and has been at Riley Hospital since January. His old heart was enlarged, which affected his ability to breathe and his energy levels.

"With the [previous] heart, I would get fatigued very quickly so that was always the issue- those are the things now that aren't affecting me as much."

He received his donor heart on July 6.

WRTV first introduced you to Taber in February.Before his transplant, Taber said his focus was on maintaining his health so his body would be ready when a heart was available. Now, he can continue looking forward.

"[I've been] doing things that I've been wanting to do and being able to, you know, actually make goals that are progress. Back before [the transplant], it was always maintenance and no real improvement," Taber said. "Now [I] continue to set goals and continue to meet goals."

He says his faith and his family have gotten him through. Taber is a husband and father of eight.

CREDIT: Taber Family

IU Health houses one of the largest Adult Congenital Heart Defect programs in the Midwest. Taber is a part of the program through Riley.

CHD is the most common birth defect in the United States, according to the CDC.