Woman Receives Heart-Liver Transplant

Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter

DALLAS (CBS11) - Andrea "Andie Kay" Joyner of Dallas beat the odds with help from dedicated doctors.

Joyner, a professional singer, has a rare genetic disorder. It causes her body to accumulate excess iron.

On September 6, she became UT Southwestern's first heart-liver transplant patient.

"Without a heart transplant, I had maybe a year. What we didn't know, is that I had two months," explained Joyner.

A pair or surgeons led a team in an 18-hour surgery to save her life.

She thanked them with bracelets and gifts of gratitude.

She said she's looking forward to returning to the stage – sharing her passion of music with people.

While there may be more surgeries to come, spending Christmas and New Year's with her family is at the top of her holiday wish list.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)