Patient with double heart transplant competes Olympic style

He’s had not one, but two heart transplants and has been recognized as a world-class athlete.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

There are many things Dylan Deem can say he’s accomplished in his 32 years of life - maybe more than people twice his age. He’s graduated from college, authored a book, survived a leg amputation, and two heart transplants.

And while people around the world watched the 2024 Olympic Games, Deem was on his own track to athletic excellence. For the second time, he qualified and competed in the Paralympic National Championships, a series of international multi-sport events for athletes with disabilities. Deem is now an eight-time Paralympic National Champion. He also broke two separate national records for shot-put and powerlifting within his F64 classification - single below-knee amputation.

In this year’s championship games Deem competed in shot-put, discus, javelin and powerlifting. The competition was hosted in Hoover, Ala. Deem has also competed in four US Transplant Games, and two World Transplant Games in Spain and the United Kingdom.

Deem first became a patient with IU Health when he was diagnosed with Synovial Cell sarcoma. High doses of chemotherapy resulted in the partial amputation of his leg. The drugs also affected his heart function. Deem received his first heart transplant Dec. 5, 2014, and a second transplant on Jan. 19. 2015. He continues to be in the care of IU Health’s Dr. Roopa Rao. His transplant coordinator is Kathy Bichaukas-McDonald.

“Dr. Rao and Kathy have been wonderful. I am blessed to have such a great team behind me that not only supports me but also is extremely knowledgeable. They understand the diligence needed to care for patients like me,” said Deem, who turns 33 on August 18. He sometimes shares videos with his care team about his latest competitions.

Deem said his health is his priority and has remained stable for the past 10 years. He has reached a point where he only makes appointments when something unusual comes up. That’s a long way from where he’s been.

Over the years, multiple open heart surgeries, kidney dialysis, heart transplantation, and various complications have landed him in ICU a number of times. Despite challenges, Deem has pursued a a degree in kinesiology, and written a book about his illness and recovery, “The Heart of a Champion.”

At this stage, he says he is devoting time to becoming the best athlete he can be in hopes of qualifying and competing in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angles, Calif. He also enjoys cooking, drawing, and helping others.