This November, Seth will celebrate 10 years with Harbin, working in inside sales. Over those 10 years, Harbin has become much more than a workplace for Seth. It has become a second family, one that stood beside him during a time when he needed it most.

Seth was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2009. Doctors were never able to determine one specific cause, and for years he lived with the constant fatigue and challenges that came with his condition. Looking back, one of the hardest parts was simply not having the energy to do everything he wanted to do with his children.

In November 2023, Seth’s health began to decline quickly. By early December, he was hospitalized. Just a month and a half later, his condition had become critical.

Seth was on life support when a donor heart became available. His wife, Brittany, had been told that he may only have about 48 hours left to live.

On January 31, 2024, Seth received a new heart.

A New Heart and a New Perspective

The transplant was only the beginning. Seth had been extremely sick leading up to surgery, and recovery was difficult. He spent around 80 days in and out of the hospital following his transplant.

Doctors continually reminded him that recovery was a marathon, not a sprint. Still, Seth remembers something remarkable about waking up after surgery.

He had more energy the day he woke up than he had felt since being diagnosed years earlier.

Slowly, the milestones started coming. Being able to stay home for more than a week without returning to the hospital felt like a victory. Completing cardiac rehab was another major step and helped Seth and his family begin settling into what he calls their “new normal.”

That new normal also included returning to Harbin after being away from work for a year.

“I couldn’t have asked to work for a better company during this time,” Seth shared. “Coworkers were constantly checking on me and checking in with my wife Brittany. Everybody supported us in so many ways.”

That support continued when he returned to work.

“They were also very understanding when I finally came back to work after being out for a year. Working here feels like working with family, and I’m so thankful for all the care and support everyone has shown.”

For Seth, some of his favorite memories at Harbin are the simple ones. Cutting up around the store, sharing meals together and celebrating different occasions as a team. He also had the unique opportunity to work alongside his stepdad, Scott Sailors, before Scott recently retired after 27 years with Harbin.

Those relationships took on an even greater meaning throughout Seth’s health journey.

From Life Support to the Transplant Games

As Seth adjusted to life after his transplant, he began attending a monthly transplant support group at Piedmont Atlanta. It was there that he learned about Team Georgia and the Transplant Games.

Before his health declined, Seth had always been active. The Games presented an opportunity to do something he once loved while showing his boys just how far he had come. So he decided to compete.

Seth participated in basketball, Texas Hold Em, golf and cornhole. He made the final table in Texas Hold Em, finished fifth in golf and brought home a silver medal in cornhole.

The results were exciting, but the experience meant much more than medals or finishing positions.

“My kids didn’t realize that I was an athlete,” Seth said. “They got to see me act like my old self for the first time.”

Not long before, his children had watched their dad struggle with exhaustion and illness before eventually being placed on life support. Now they were watching him compete against transplant recipients from across the country.

“It meant everything,” Seth said. “Going from being extremely tired and fatigued all the time and then eventually being put on life support to competing against people from all of America was a wow moment. I hope it set a good example for my kids to look up to.”

 

One moment was especially meaningful. Seth’s eight year old son, Turner, was able to join him on the golf course and move the flags as his dad competed.

For Seth, that was a memory bigger than the competition itself.

The trip also gave his family the opportunity to experience things together that Seth once wasn’t sure would be possible. He was able to hike Garden of the Gods and, most importantly, feel good while doing it.

More Than Surviving

Seth admits he didn’t know what to expect when he arrived at the Transplant Games. He pictured a relatively small group of competitors.

Instead, he found thousands of people with stories similar to his. “These people weren’t just surviving, they were thriving,” he said.

One experience in particular gave Seth and Brittany hope for the future. They were invited to a special dinner recognizing transplant recipients who have lived with their transplant for 25 years or longer. Seeing those recipients doing well decades later gave them a glimpse of what Seth’s own future could hold.

After spending so many years dealing with illness and then coming so close to losing his life, Seth doesn’t look at an ordinary day quite the same anymore. Little things that once bothered him don’t seem as important. His priorities have changed. Time with his wife and children means more.

“There was a very real chance I wasn’t going to see my kids grow up, and here I am coaching them six out of seven days a week,” Seth said. “I’m just so very grateful for every second that I have on this Earth.”

He has also changed one small phrase in his everyday vocabulary. Instead of saying, “I have to,” Seth reminds himself, “I get to.”

He gets to go to work. He gets to coach his children. He gets to take vacations with his family. He gets to play with his kids without constantly feeling sick and tired. Those everyday moments are no longer something he takes for granted.

The Gift of a Second Chance

There is another family who will forever be part of Seth’s story. Seth has had the opportunity to meet his donor’s mother. Through a stethoscope, she has been able to hear her son’s heart continuing to beat in Seth’s chest. Her son’s decision to become an organ donor saved eight lives.

“Please be a donor,” Seth said. “I’ll never be able to express my gratitude for that decision.”

When Seth talks about receiving a second chance, he doesn’t just talk about what he wants to do for himself. He wants to help other people, share his faith and make the most of the life he has been given. He also hopes his experience can encourage someone else facing a similar situation.

“If my story gives at least one person hope, that would be awesome as well.”

Today, what Seth looks forward to most isn’t complicated. It’s simply life with Brittany and their children. Coaching. Vacations. Playing together. Watching his kids grow up. And being present for all the moments he once wasn’t sure he would have.

When asked to describe everything he has experienced in just a few words, his answer was simple.

“Thankful and blessed. I’m thankful to God, my donor and his family, my wife for fighting for me with doctors and insurance, my family and work family for their support. Just thankful.”