Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin revealed on Friday that his fiancé, Carolina Matovac, received a heart transplant this summer following a traumatic health scare while on vacation in France.
In a joint letter, the couple revealed details of Matovac’s major heart failure, which began with the 25-year-old feeling sick for a few days.
“Fortunately, she received CPR on multiple occasions, and up to a couple of hours at a time to keep her alive, which ultimately saved her life,” Dahlin wrote. “Without her receiving lifesaving CPR, the result would have been unimaginable. It is hard to even think about the worst-case scenario.”
Matovac was transferred to a hospital in France where she remained on life support for weeks before she was a beneficiary of a heart transplant. Matovac ultimately was able to travel back to Sweden – the couple’s native country – where she began her rehabilitation process.
According to Dahlin, she is on the path to “a full recovery.” The couple, who share the same birthday, have been together for several years.
Dahlin, who was named the Sabres captain ahead of last season, delayed his arrival in Buffalo to as close to training camp as possible. He is expected to be fully ready for the season, though Matovac remains in Sweden for now.
The star defenseman decided to share details of the experience to raise awareness for CPR training and organ donations. The experience was eye-opening to Dahlin, and he hopes to shine light on the people and infrastructures that helped his family.
“We want to recognize the tireless and oftentimes thankless efforts of emergency and healthcare professionals everywhere. We cannot say thank you enough to all organ donors, and are appreciative beyond words for the new life that organ donation has provided to Carolina,” Dahlin wrote. “We hope that we can all reflect on how fortunate we are to have the people and experiences that we share together every single day.”
Dahlin is the No. 1 pick of the 2018 Draft, the second Swedish player to be drafted first overall. He finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting last season after scoring 68 points (17 goals, 51 assists) in 73 games while averaging 24:14 minutes a game. The Sabres are looking to make the playoffs this season for the first time in Dahlin’s career.
“While Carolina is still working through her rehab to return to be with me in Buffalo, she has demonstrated an incredible determination, spirit, positivity, and resilience that I am in awe of,” Dahlin wrote. “This has undoubtedly been the most challenging chapter of our lives, however it is something that we have learned so much from.”
