For U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Louis B. Smith Jr., his heart and his father’s legacy are deeply intertwined with a special tattoo.
After serving 21 years in the military, Smith, a veteran from Country Club Hills in suburban Chicago, found himself facing a new battle—heart failure.
“I wasn’t really afraid to pass away because I was a soldier,” Smith explained. “I’m built for this, you know.”
Smith enlisted in the Army at just 17 years old, following in his father’s footsteps. His military service took him to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Germany, and Korea.
By the time he was 63, a genetic heart condition had reduced his heart function to just 10%. Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital informed him that he would need a heart transplant.
“Just keeping my faith and telling myself that everything’s going to be alright,” he said.
Fortunately, a donor heart became available. Before his surgery, Smith’s doctor asked if he had any special requests.
“I was like, ‘Oh yeah, can you please try to save my tattoo?'” Smith recalled.
The tattoo, reading “I did it my way,” is inspired by the famous song by Frank Sinatra. For Smith, it represents more than just ink; it’s a connection to his late father. The song was one they both cherished, and its lyrics became a motto they lived by.
“I lost my father in 2007, and he was a soldier too. At the time, I was really missing him,” Smith shared.
Dr. Benjamin Bryner, who performed the transplant, explained, “There’s no way to do a transplant without leaving a scar, but we take extra time to make sure the tattoos line up as best as we can. I was pleased with the result for his.”
Smith said he was impressed with the result, telling his wife, “Now, you can almost hardly tell it’s there!”
Nearly a year after ringing the hospital bell to mark a successful transplant, Smith is back doing what he loves—riding his motorcycle and enjoying life as a father and grandfather.
“I’m very happy and blessed in my life,” he said. “I have no regrets. The song says it all—it says who I am.”
Smith continues to receive care at Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which has partnered with Northwestern Medicine for over 77 years to provide specialized care for veterans.
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