- link Copy URL - [ Share on X ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=CVS Health: A Second Chance at Life Through Heart Transplant and Ongoing Care https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/1312956?absolute=1&via=3blnews "Share on X") - [ Share on linkedin ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/1312956?absolute=1 "Share on Linkedin") - [ Share on facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/1312956?absolute=1 "Share on Facebook") - [ email Share via email ](mailto:?subject=CVS Health: A Second Chance at Life Through Heart Transplant and Ongoing Care&body=ESG News from CVS Health https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/1312956?absolute=1 "Share via email") [Health & Healthcare](/categories/health-healthcare) # CVS Health: A Second Chance at Life Through Heart Transplant and Ongoing Care May 18, 2026 8:30 AM ET ![Bill and his CVS Specialty pharmacist, Amy Guard.](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_2x/public/images/Bill%20Allison_Second%20Chance_CVS%20Health_4.30.26.png) [Originally published on CVS Health Company Newsroom](https://www.cvshealth.com/news/pharmacy/a-second-chance-at-life-through-heart-transplant-and-ongoing-care.html) **Key points** - After smoking for decades and surviving two heart attacks, Bill Allison learned that he needed a heart transplant — and that making immediate, lasting life changes was essential. - Beyond dispensing medications, Bill’s CVS Specialty pharmacist, Amy Guard, has supported him throughout his post transplant journey with ongoing medication counseling and encouragement. - “Listen to your doctors, pharmacists and care team,” Bill says. “It’s never too late to change and turn your life around. I would do it again in a heartbeat.” After surviving two heart attacks, Bill Allison received news that stopped him in his tracks. Unless he made immediate, lasting lifestyle changes and received a heart transplant, his doctor told him, he had little time left to live. At age 65, Bill — a military veteran and retired truck driver from Waxhaw, North Carolina — made a decision that would change the course of his life. A longtime smoker, he quit cold turkey and stopped drinking alcohol. “I realized I wanted to be around longer for my family and continue doing the things I love,” Bill says. “I knew I needed to change.” While waiting for a donor heart, Bill focused on staying healthy and strong enough for surgery, knowing each day mattered. Several months later, that opportunity arrived. In 2009, Bill underwent a successful heart transplant. Today, at 81, Bill says he feels better than ever. He spends his days working on his more than two acre property, caring for his animals, and — most importantly — enjoying time with his wife of nearly 50 years, their children, and grandchildren. “It’s never too late for a second chance at life,” he says. **The importance of long-term care** Bill is grateful to his organ donor and credits the many members of his health care team — physicians, surgeons, nurses, and pharmacists — who have supported him throughout his journey. “I take a handful of prescription pills in the morning and a handful at night,” Bill says. “And I go for regular checkups and monitoring with my doctor.” Those medications, including immunosuppressants, play a critical role in preventing organ rejection. For heart transplant recipients, medication adherence and ongoing monitoring are lifelong commitments essential to protecting the donated heart. To help manage his ongoing care, Bill receives his specialty medications through CVS Specialty, with the option for convenient pickup at a nearby CVS Pharmacy—helping ensure dependable access to the life sustaining medications he has relied on over the years. As part of that support, his CVS Specialty pharmacist, Amy Guard, PharmD, has been a consistent member of his care team, providing medication counseling and guidance to help him stay on track. “Bill is remarkably resilient and motivated,” Amy says. “Adhering to his medication regimen and maintaining a healthy lifestyle have been major factors in his long term success.” **A message of hope – and the power of organ donation** Looking back, Bill says building a strong care support team — and listening to them — made all the difference. He also hopes his story inspires others to consider organ donation. “Organ donors are heroes,” he says. “They can save lives and give people like me a future.” For anyone facing major health challenges, his advice is simple: “Listen to your doctors, pharmacists, and care team,” Bill says. “It’s never too late to change and turn your life around. I would do it again in a heartbeat.” [![CVS Health logo](/sites/default/files/Clients/logo_7.png)](/profiles/cvs-health) ### More from CVS Health ###### [CVS Health’s Annual Impact in Rhode Island](/news/cvs-healths-annual-impact-rhode-island) May 15, 2026 8:30 AM ET ###### [CVS Health: All Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy® Locations Now Accept WIC for Infant Formula](/news/cvs-health-all-rhode-island-cvs-pharmacyr-locations-now-accept-wic-infant-formula) May 14, 2026 8:30 AM ET ###### [CVS Health Wins Gold in Enterprise AI, and Silver in Customer Experience AI at 2026 Stevie® (American Business Awards®) for Enterprise Scale AI Innovation](/news/cvs-health-wins-gold-enterprise-ai-and-silver-customer-experience-ai-2026-stevier-american) May 13, 2026 8:30 AM ET ###### [CVS Health’s Annual Impact in Connecticut](/news/cvs-healths-annual-impact-connecticut) May 7, 2026 8:30 AM ET ###### [CVS Health’s Annual Impact in Arizona](/news/cvs-healths-annual-impact-arizona) Apr 30, 2026 8:30 AM ET ###### [CVS Pharmacy Makes Cold & Cough Relief Easier With Delivery Straight to Your Door](/news/cvs-pharmacy-makes-cold-cough-relief-easier-delivery-straight-your-door) Apr 29, 2026 8:30 AM ET ###### [CVS Health: What’s Next in Treatment: Four Drugs That Could Change Care This Spring](/news/cvs-health-whats-next-treatment-four-drugs-could-change-care-spring) Apr 28, 2026 8:30 AM ET ###### [Aetna Announces Progress on Industry Leading Efforts To Simplify Prior Authorization](/news/aetna-announces-progress-industry-leading-efforts-simplify-prior-authorization) Apr 27, 2026 8:30 AM ET