A dad-of-seven in desperate need of a new heart was left crushed after his flight was cancelled due to the historic winter storm battering the US this month.
Patrick Holland, 56, was given an eight-hour window to fly from Alaska to Seattle so he could arrive in time for a critical heart transplant.
But tragically, his Alaska Airlines flight was cancelled because of the blizzard.
On December 22, the Washington Medical Center contacted the father-of-seven to let him know he was next in line for the operation.
After the call, Patrick rushed to an airport in Fairbanks, Alaska, in the hopes of catching the overnight flight to Seattle.
Speaking with CNN, Patrick explained: "“It was terrifying news to hear that I was going to get a transplant, to be honest with you. I was terrified.
“And then I was excited.”
When he arrived at the counter, he was told the night-time flight had been cancelled and that he wouldn't be able to make the slot.
After learning of his situation, airline staff managed to secure him a spot on another plane.
For the second time, the winter chaos ruined best laid plans and the aircraft was rerouted to Anchorage half-way through the flight.
This was when Patrick "started to panic", he told CNN.
"My worst fears were overwhelming me. Because when you hear that, you're like, there's somebody donating a heart and I don't imagine they can wait that long. Because the longer it waits, the longer the tissue decomposes."
Patrick praised the Alaska Airlines staff, saying they did whatever they could to get him to the hospital on time, but he knew he'd lost his chance after seeing multiple more subsequent flights had been cancelled.
The hospital then called him to say they'd given the heart to someone else.
"I think I cried more that day than I have in my life, and exerted every emotion that I've never had," Patrick told King 5.
"To get out of that funk, I immediately said, 'Thank God, there's going to be a family that is saving someone's dad, saving someone's brother, saving someone's, someone's uncle, you know.'"
Patrick plans to stick around in Seattle for a while in case he receives another call to tell him another heart is up for grabs.
The dad suffered a massive heart attack aged 29, which has significantly weakened his heart.
United Network for Organ Sharing determines donor matches to people in need through its computer system.
To maintain the organ's viability, specific preservation methods are used.
The heart and lungs can only be preserved outside of a body for four to six hours. Kidneys, on the other hand, can be kept viable for 24 to 36 hours.
On a Facebook page dedicated to her husband's journey, Patrick's wife Haley said the family plans to be ready for the next call.
One recent post reads: “We aim to be more prepared for the second call.
“The first one came in two-and-a-half weeks. The next one could come any time, or it could be weeks or months out.”
