July 21, 1997: Organ Transplant - Claire Sylvia

Art Bell speaks with Claire Sylvia, a dancer from Massachusetts who received a heart and lung transplant from an 18-year-old motorcycle accident victim in 1988. The first two hours feature open lines covering topics including crop circles from England, the Cunanan manhunt, and the Mars Pathfinder mission losing contact on July 20th.

Sylvia describes her years-long battle with primary pulmonary hypertension, a rare fatal lung disease, and the dramatic day she received the call for her transplant just one day after being evaluated. Following surgery, she began experiencing unexplained cravings and personality changes that seemed to belong to her young male donor. She craved beer and chicken nuggets, foods she had never wanted before, and began having vivid cross-gender dreams.

Most remarkably, Sylvia dreamed her donor's name, Tim L., six months after the transplant and later confirmed it through his obituary. She discusses the concept of cellular memory, her eventual meeting with Tim's family, and the moment years later when she felt his spirit finally depart from her body, freeing her to form new relationships.