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Firefighter who asked for T-shirts undergoes 2nd heart transplant surgery

PITTSBURGH — A volunteer firefighter who requested T-shirts from fire companies as he waited for a new heart underwent transplant surgery Thursday morning.

Aaron Card, 26, is a volunteer firefighter with the Kirwan Heights Fire Department.

His girlfriend, Tira Wallace, told Channel 11's Jennifer Tomazic that Card was in surgery Thursday after learning Wednesday night that he would be receiving the heart.

Fire departments from across the region sent Card dozens of shirts to wear during his hospital stay.

“Fire departments are all about brotherhood and sharing, and I started with a Facebook post, saying, ‘Hey, if anyone has any T-shirts,’” Wallace told Channel 11 News in December.

Card had been dealing with heart problems his entire life and has had multiple surgeries. He had his first heart transplant when he was 12 years old. Last year, he started having complications.

Wallace told Channel 11 News that Thursday’s surgery was expected to last 10 to 13 hours.

According to a post Thursday night on the Kirwan Heights Fire Department's Facebook page, Card's surgery went as expected, and he was doing well.