Bart's Heart: A Journey of Family, Friendship, Football and Faith

Bart Burrell enjoyed a storied athletic career as a wide receiver at Purdue University. At the age of forty, mysterious health symptoms appeared. He was referred to Mayo Clinic, where he was given a rare diagnosis and told that, without treatment, he had less than six months to live. Bart underwent a life-saving stem cell transplant. Fourteen years later, new heart-related symptoms surfaced. Eventually, Bart's best option for survival was a combined heart and liver transplant.

Relying on his faith, the discipline he learned through sports, his extensive network of close friends and wise coaches, and his loving wife and two daughters, he not only survived, but thrives through the hardships of his disease. This inspiring story provides encouragement for those who are facing trials and health issues, highlights the blessings of family and friends, and demonstrates how a relationship with Jesus can help us through our greatest life challenges.

BART BURRELL was raised in Carmel, Indiana. He graduated from Carmel High School, where he excelled in basketball and football, and he was part of the 1977 Carmel High School team that won the State Basketball Championship. From 1977 to 1981, he attended Purdue University, where he earned a degree in business and had a distinguished football career. Bart, as a wide receiver, caught passes from quarterback and lifelong friend Mark Herrmann, and together they became known as the "Carmel Connection". He played on the only team in Purdue history to win three consecutive bowl games (Peach, Bluebonnet, and Liberty). He scored at least one touchdown in each of the bowl games, as well as in two post-season All-Star games (Japan Bowl and Hula Bowl). In 2010, he was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. Bart was in the financial services industry for 33 years. At the time of his recent retirement from Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, he served as a Senior Consultant/Senior Vice President in Lafayette, Indiana. He relishes time with his family and friends, and he enjoys a competitive round of golf. Bart and his wife Nancy reside in Carmel, IN and Sarasota, FL, and have two adult daughters and four grandchildren.