RICHMOND, Va. — If you ask Johnny and Quan Boatman to tell the origins of their union, it’s a love story that started on a DC train and quickly gained traction.

The two found themselves on the same commuter train leaving work in July more than 11 years ago.

“Trying to get off the train, I spilled my bag on the floor. When I looked up, Johnny stopped the traffic,” Quan said. “I look up and this handsome man had this huge smile and these big dimples.”

“I thought about what it was all about,” Johnny said. “You know, there’s something wrong with me, or this girl has a thing for me.”

“I realized I must have looked at him just a few seconds too long, so I was ashamed and grabbed my things and ran off the train,” Quan said.

Although, one look was all it took as Johnny made sure he was on the same train the next day.

“I found her, sat down, struck up a conversation, and the rest is history,” he said.

“Meeting us was nothing but God,” Quan said.

10 years and 10,000 amazing memories later, the pair find themselves reflecting on those moments in a place neither of them expected: the hospital.

For the past 51 days, Johnny has been at VCU Medical Center while awaiting a heart and kidney transplant.

In 2022, Johnny suffered a heart attack while at the gym. “I started having some chest problems, which I’ve never had before,” he said, shockingly because he was always active both as a collegiate athlete and in the military.

After months of tests, doctors diagnosed him with amyloidosis, a disease that had damaged Johnny’s heart so badly that he would need a transplant to live.

“It happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to understand or really absorb the impact of the words that Dr. Shah offered to me and my wife,” Johnny described.

Dr. Keyur Shah of VCU Medical Center said the genetic mutation that sometimes causes the disease predominantly affects black Americans and is much more common than people think.

“We’ve learned over the last decade that this disease is very common,” Dr. Shah said. “One in 20 black Americans is a carrier of this mutation. Not everyone develops the disease, but everyone is at a higher risk of developing some kind of heart disease in their lifetime.”

Because of this, Johnny decided to relive his pain by sharing his story in hopes of raising awareness around the disease and the importance of organ donation.

“If I had known earlier, I could have worked this out,” Johnny said. “Listen to your body, you know, do your research, and then if you have those issues, get help right away.”

So as they support the pair as they await a heart and kidney transplant, they lean on the love they share as they help heal his broken heart.

“I know a heart and a kidney is coming for Johnny,” Quan said.

“You know, Quan was my rock and it’s hard to go through the journey alone. That’s why, you know, having her was so important,” Johnny said.

Johnny’s friends and family have started the Anyone With a Heart campaign to raise awareness of the disease and the importance of life-saving organ donation, so if you would like to donate or find out more, you can contact them directly at anyonewithaheart@ gmail.com.

They are also asking you to share Johnny’s story on social media and use #AnyHeart and advocate for your loved ones to be tested if their family has a history of heart disease.

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.

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