Assistant Chief of Police Donnie King, a longtime law enforcement officer and beloved community figure in Bells, Tennessee, recently received the ultimate gift: a new heart. Thanks to the expert transplant team at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West in Nashville, King is now recovering and looking forward to enjoying life with his family after more than three decades of public service.
King, who served multiple West Tennessee communities during his 35-year career, began feeling unwell while on duty. A medical evaluation revealed that he was in advanced heart failure and urgently needed a transplant. He was referred to Ascension Saint Thomas Heart, where he was admitted to the hospital and began intensive treatment while awaiting a donor.
A healthy heart typically has an ejection fraction between 50 and 70 percent—a measure of how well the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. In King’s case, that function was severely impaired.
“My ejection fraction had dropped to just 10 percent, and I was experiencing fluid buildup, extreme fatigue, and shortness of breath,” King said. “On January 28, I underwent a heart catheterization and failed both the stress and bicycle tests. That’s when they admitted me.”
To support his heart, doctors first implanted an Impella device, a temporary mechanical pump. When that proved insufficient, he was placed on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a machine that helps pump blood when the heart cannot. His condition remained critical, and he rose on the transplant list.
On Feb. 24, King received the call that a donor heart had been found. The transplant surgery was performed on the same day by Dr. Ashok Babu, a leading heart transplant surgeon at Saint Thomas Heart, and lasted six hours. Although the procedure was successful, King experienced a complication and his implanted defibrillator had to restart his heart.
“Being a law enforcement officer, I know what a Taser feels like—and that’s exactly how it felt when the device shocked me,” King said. “Thankfully, I recovered after the transplant and they removed it, and everything has been improving since.”
Today, King’s heart function has dramatically improved. His medical team says his heart is now pumping at full strength, and he’s getting stronger each day through regular physical therapy.
“I thank God Almighty every day for this second chance and for the entire care team at Ascension Saint Thomas,” he said. “Everyone there—from the doctors and nurses to the support staff—was so professional, kind, and truly caring. Dr. Babu especially had such a calming, compassionate presence.”
“Mr. King’s case is a powerful example of how our experienced, multidisciplinary team at Saint Thomas Heart is dedicated to helping patients not only survive but thrive after transplant,” said Dr. Ashok Babu, heart transplant surgeon.
With more than 150 heart transplants since 2016 and national recognition in the top 1% for transplant speed and outcomes, Saint Thomas Heart is a leader in heart transplant and advanced heart failure care. The program also ranks in the top 5% nationally for survival on the waiting list and offers advanced therapies such as ventricular assist devices (VADs) to support patients awaiting transplant.
The community of Bells has rallied behind King, offering donations and unwavering support as he continues his recovery.
King has decided to retire from his career in law enforcement and plans to spend more time with his loved ones. He’s also become an advocate for organ donation.
“Being an organ donor is so important,” he said. “You’re giving someone—and their family—a second chance at life. I’ve already checked the box on my driver’s license, and I hope others will too.”
About Ascension Saint Thomas
Ascension Saint Thomas is a leading health care system with a 125-year history of providing care to the community, and is the only faith-based, non profit health system in Middle Tennessee. Today, the health system offers a highly comprehensive system of care, with more than 320 sites of care that cover a 45-county area in Tennessee consisting of 18 hospitals and a network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and specialty facilities. Across the state, Ascension Saint Thomas and its partner organizations employ more than 13,000 dedicated associates who care for millions of patients each year. Ascension Saint Thomas is part of Ascension, one of the nation’s largest faith-based healthcare organizations committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension includes approximately 134,000 associates, 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals, serving communities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visitwww.ascension.org.
