Corsaint. He underwent two heart transplants: "I'm lucky to be alive."

At 54, Samuel Hopgood has been living with a heart that isn't his own since he was 22. He has undergone two operations: the first in May 1993 and the second in May 2004. It goes without saying that June 22 is a special day for him every year.

"It's essential that people think about organ donation. Because donating organs saves lives. It's a major act," explains this resident of Corsaint, the town where he serves as mayor.

Samuel Hopgood was confronted with his heart problem at the age of 22, in the prime of his life. He explains that it was poorly treated angina that caused him to develop myocarditis (inflammation of the myocardium, the heart muscle). "At the time, I was doing my military service in Germany. I ran 10 kilometers a day and played soccer in Époisses. Suddenly, I was out of breath with the slightest effort and had difficulty breathing. After multiple tests, the cardiology department at Bocage in Dijon, which was monitoring me, told me that I needed a transplant," says Sam Hopgood. At one point, he was even placed on ventricular and respiratory support, as his heart was becoming increasingly weak. "The cardiology department told my parents that it could only last four or five days. After that, without a donor, it was over for me."

In May 1993, relief came: Samuel Hopgood underwent successful cardiac surgery by Professor Michel David in Dijon. The mayor lived with this heart until 2004, when he had to undergo a second operation. "The transplanted heart was starting to tire. The cardiologist noticed this while conducting tests," Samuel explains. This time, Dr. Saed Jazayeri performed the transplant, which was also a success.

Since he was 22, Samuel Hoppgood has lived with constraints. He has to take more than twenty anti-rejection medications daily. Furthermore, after working as a self-service employee, gas station attendant, maintenance worker, and bus driver, he is now on disability. However, he isn't complaining. " I'm lucky to be alive and am infinitely and deeply grateful to my two donors. Thanks to their donations, I have children and grandchildren, even though I could have died at 22. I have a good life," concludes Samuel Hopgood.