Blount Co. Deputy receives heart transplant after being denied twice last month

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A Blount County Deputy in need of a heart transplant finally received a new heart after being rejected right before surgery twice last month.

Deputy Lydia Sharp, a mother of two, was first diagnosed with congestive heart failure in May of 2022, according to the family.

The deputy was scheduled to have heart transplant surgery on Aug. 12 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; however, Blount County officials said her doctors rejected the heart at the last minute so she did not have the transplant.

A week later, a similar situation happened. Deputy Sharp received a call for a heart, went to get ready for surgery and was sent home once again after the heart was rejected a second time.

Her daughter, Brianna Wilson reached out to WVLT News Sunday night and said they received an offer and Sharp was scheduled to undergo surgery at 10 p.m. Almost 10 hours later, Wilson told WVLT News that her mother was out of surgery and doing well.

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