In the United States, there are around 3,500 donor hearts made available every year for more than 4,400 people who join the waiting list.
"In Australia, a man was kept alive for 100 days on an artificial heart made of titanium while a donor heart was eventually found.
This is the longest-ever period that a man has been kept alive by an artificial heart, giving its developers encouragement that it can play a major role in supporting waiting list patients whose hearts are failing.
5 months ago, a man in his forties received the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) after experiencing heart failure. The TAH has no pumps, valves, or other moving parts susceptible to wear. Instead, magnetic levitation permits a single rotor to pump blood to the body through both ventricles.
He was able to leave the hospital even, before a donor heart was found that was transplanted successfully.
In a statement, BiVACOR, St. Vincent’s Hospital where the surgery was carried out, and Monash University which provided the grant funding for the development of the TAH, said that the result is a sign the artificial heart could potentially offer a long-term option for people suffering from heart failure.
BiVACOR’s founder, Australian bioengineer Daniel Timms, who invented the device, said it was “exhilarating to see decades of work come to fruition.”
“The entire BiVACOR team is deeply grateful to the patient and his family for placing their trust in our Total Artificial Heart,” he said in the statement. “Their bravery will pave the way for countless more patients to receive this lifesaving technology.”
In the United States, there are around 3,500 donor hearts made available every year for more than 4,400 people who join the waiting list.
The TAH has already been tested in an early feasibility study in search of eventual FDA approval. 5 patients received the device, CNN reports, with the first being last July, when a 58-year-old man suffering end-stage heart failure received the implant during surgery at Texas Medical Center.
The four others also received it successfully, and organizers hope to expand it to 15 patients."
💟 Happy Valentine's Day, my fellow Kirsh lovers. Here's a tiny fluffy fic for You 💟
Title: Artificial Heart
Summary: Valentine's Day is coming, and the reader wants to prepare something to show Kirsh her affection. Unfortunately, not everything goes her way.
Words: 3k+
A/N: I came up with this idea after getting an invitation to a Valentine's Day dinner. If, like me, you'd rather spend the evening with Kirsh, then this fic is for you. Real men are overrated, bleached androids rule ❤️
Would you like to meet up on Saturday? A message flashed on your tablet screen. You frowned angrily. Saturday was Valentine's Day. How dare he propose a meeting then?! And this is supposed to be just friendship?
Thanks, but I already have plans, you replied quickly. Of course, it was to be expected that your supposed friend wouldn't give up so easily. Another message arrived a few seconds later.
Don't tell me you want to spend time with that favourite robot of yours?!
You bared your teeth, but decided that responding to this teasing was beneath you. After a moment, the tablet beeped again. That's incredibly pathetic.
You just snorted and turned off the screen. Some guys really had the audacity. And they were surprised that you preferred spending time with a synth than with them. Kirsh, though he could get on your nerves too, never did so out of such base motives as an inflated ego. He was never mean or made you feel bad, even unintentionally. On the contrary, he always tried to protect you from any unpleasantness. Although he could be mischievous, it was usually in a friendly manner. He liked to tease you, but he never crossed any line with you. The perfect gentleman.
Postentatiously ignoring the tablet and tossing it into a drawer, you went back to unpacking the box that had just arrived by mail. Inside were a few trinkets, bought especially for Valentine's Day. Besides a sweet teddy bear holding a heart, the package contained a kit for making your own Victorian folded Valentine's Day card. You thought Kirsh would be impressed by such meticulous work. Indeed, you wanted to ask him to be your Valentine and spend that day with him. You knew that most Neverland employees were taking the weekend off and leaving the island to celebrate Valentine's Day with their loved ones. The fact was, you and Kirsh were among the few who stayed in the facility for that time. You intended to make good use of it and finally show him your affection in an unmistakable way. Who could fail to understand what someone meant by giving them a Valentine's Day card? Even to an android, that should have been obvious. And though you trembled at the thought of rejection, you still longed to make the first move. You knew you couldn't rely on Kirsh in this matter.
.💟.💟.💟.
On Friday, a few hours before the ship taking the employees to the mainland departed, you, Dame Sylvia and Atom Eins were reviewing the documentation for the new hybrid program. Completely absorbed in the calculations, you belatedly realised that Dame had been eying you intently for some time.
'What's up?' you asked, concerned. 'Did I make some mistake?'
At these words, Eins looked up from the computer he was sitting at.
'No, no. Everything's fine,' Dame assured you reassuringly, and the second-in-command returned to his work. 'I'm just surprised (Y/N), that you're staying on the island for the weekend.' She glanced at you over her retro glasses. She and her husband were planning to spend the weekend in New York. 'It's Valentine's Day, after all, I can't believe a person as charming as you has no one to celebrate with.'
You grimaced and shrugged. What could you possibly tell her? That you wanted to spend time with Kirsh? You couldn't bear it if she pitifully started explaining that he was just a synthetic.
"Unless, perhaps, you're staying because someone you want to celebrate with is also staying?' Dame looked at you over her glasses again. 'Someone who, unfortunately, can't reciprocate your feelings?'
Damn. She knew. Was your affection really that obvious? Eins looked up from the screen again and eyed you suspiciously. It was impossible not to blush as they both stared at you like that.
'So, it's true?!' he exclaimed. 'Your attachment to Kirsh isn't just collegiality?'
'Jeez, everyone has the right to spend their free time as they like. Just because I don't want to leave the island doesn't mean I have any special feelings for a coworker... And even if I did, I'm not harming anyone with it..."
'Nobody except yourself,' Eins snorted.
'We're worried about you, (Y/N),' Dame quickly interjected. 'You spend all of your off-work time in the lab. You know that Kirsh, although a highly advanced artificial person, is no match for a real human.'
You thought so too. Kirsh couldn't compare to humans; he surpassed them in every way. However, you decided that saying it out loud wasn't a good idea.
'I understand that he's somehow caught your attention,' Dame continued. 'After all, he seems more gentle with you than with others, but remember that by giving him your affection, you're only falling on deaf ears. He'll never reciprocate, and what's worse, he's programmed to avoid close contact with people. If he notices your affection, he'll surely withdraw entirely from the relationship. It will hurt you unnecessarily, and it will make it harder for you to work together in the future.'
'Exactly,' Eins agreed eagerly. 'And if the cooperation doesn't go well, whose head do you think will roll? Because I guarantee you, it definitely won't be his.'
Barely sucking it up, you said. 'Your fears are truly exaggerated. I really like Kirsh; his presence is a great respite from dealing with humans, but that's all.'
You went back to work, when right on cue, the sliding door opened, and Kirsh stood there.
'Good morning,' he greeted. You could hardly look at him, feeling your cheeks begin to heat up again. Noticing you, he gave you a gentle smile, one he reserved exclusively for you, and you blushed even deeper, if that were even possible. You hoped your companions were currently too focused on him to notice your confusion. 'I found a few errors in the January expense report, and it needs to be resolved as soon as possible before some heads roll.'
Your heart skipped a beat. Had he heard everything?
Eins gave you a meaningful look. 'Maybe someone makes mistakes because they're so deeply in love, they can't concentrate on anything.'
You choked on your own saliva. Between coughs, you muttered, 'I'm sorry,' and, beet red, you quickly left the room. Embarrassment and anger burned through you. Did everyone conspire to ruin Valentine's Day for you? This was supposed to be such a nice time, and at that moment, you completely lost the desire to celebrate.
'(Y/N), are you okay?' You heard Kirsh's voice behind you. He followed you into the hallway, looking quite worried.
'Sure,' you choked out, trying to stay calm. 'Just too dry air. I'll go get something to drink.'
He nodded, but his expression still betrayed concern. Not wanting to encourage him to investigate further, you went to your quarters.
Entering the room, you cast a resigned glance at the old-fashioned Valentine's Day card you'd spent half the night working on, which turned out simply wonderful, and the stuffed animal on the table. You fought the urge to throw the gifts into the trash can and went to the kitchenette to make yourself some tea.
.💟.💟.💟.
That same evening, after work and finishing dinner, you returned to your room and to your surprise, found Kirsh there. It wasn't the first time he'd forced his way into your personal space without asking; privacy for him might have been nonexistent. However, this time it irritated you more than usual, as you still hadn't cleaned up the Valentine's Day card, and you really didn't want him to see it. You couldn't even delude yourself that it hadn't happened, because he was sitting at the same table where you'd left the gifts. You found him stroking the calligraphed name on top of a Valentine card with his finger.
'I asked you not to break into my room when I'm gone,' you snapped, more embarrassed than upset.
'So I can do this only when you're in it?' He smirked, turning his face toward you. 'That seems like a good option too.'
You gave him what you thought was a chilling look, but he didn't even blink. He was still smiling, though you noticed a strange uncertainty accompanying that smile, something you had never seen on his face before. This worried you deeply. Was the program, telling him to avoid potential obstacles in the form of coworkers infatuated with him, already kicking in?
'I came to check if everything was alright.' He stood up, stepping closer. 'Eins said...,' he hesitated and used other words. 'I noticed you two were arguing. Maybe I could help with that somehow?'
You blushed, imagining what Eins could have told him. You didn't want Kirsh to find out about your feelings like that. In fact, right then, you didn't want him to find out at all.
'Everything's fine.' You turned away quickly, slipping into the bathroom and busily washing your hands. Anything to avoid that piercing gaze. 'It wasn't an argument, more like Eins just admonished me, that's all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a bath. I'd like to go to bed early today.'
'You stay here for the weekend.'
That wasn't a question, but you nodded anyway and started filling the bathtub. You wanted so badly to turn to him and tell him the truth, but you couldn't find the nerve to do it. You felt a lump growing in your throat, and your eyes began to fill with tears at the mere thought of how Eins had presented the whole situation to him. You were so afraid of his reaction; nothing could be worse than seeing the indifference in Kirsh's eyes. The same indifference he'd shown to everyone else except you so far.
He stood still for a moment longer, watching you intently, as if he were about to say something more. Finally, however, he sighed, very humanly, wished you goodnight, and left, leaving you alone with your dark thoughts.
.💟.💟.💟.
Morning found you in the same sad mood as the previous evening. Even the warm sunlight and the birds chirping outside couldn't bring you any peace or a smile to your face.
You were still lying in bed, not feeling like going for breakfast, when a knock sounded at the door. You decided it was better to pretend you weren't there and continued to lie there quietly.
'(Y/N), it's me.' Kirsh's voice made you jump. 'Please, let me in.'
Your heart pounded so hard that for a moment you feared you were having palpitations. You had to take a few deep breaths before calling out. 'I'm still in bed. Give me a second.' But before you could stand up, the door slid open, and your beloved synthetic entered the room. You were about to snort at him for coming in uninvited, but you were literally speechless at the sight of him. In his hands, he held a large tray with a very picturesque breakfast: heart-shaped waffles topped with raspberry or strawberry jam and whipped cream, coffee and freshly squeezed juice. On the tray was also a small bouquet of the reddest roses you'd ever seen, and red and pink heart-shaped balloons were attached to one of the handles.
'Happy Valentine's Day!' he called from the doorway. 'I thought you might want to eat in your room this morning.' He smiled cheekily, seeing your stunned expression. 'I also wanted to talk with you in private.' He set the tray on the now-empty table and looked at you. You were still sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at him in a stupor. 'Or maybe you'd prefer to eat in bed? The tray doesn't have support, but maybe somehow...'
'No, I'll just get up.' You stood up, throwing your robe over your back. Your brain had clearly stopped working, because you had absolutely no idea what was happening.
He raised his eyebrows, concernig your hesitation. 'If you don't want my company, that's okay, I'll leave.'
'No, no!' you denied quickly. 'Give me a second, I'll just use the restroom, okay?'
'Of course.'
Frantically, you went to the bathroom and splashed your face with cold water several times to regain your composure. In a flash of common sense, you brushed your teeth thoroughly, not wanting to give Kirsh your morning breath, and quickly combed your hair. Everything else would have to wait for now.
When you returned to the room, Kirsh was already sitting at the table, waiting for you. A faint smile was still visible at the corners of his mouth. You sat down opposite, glancing at the tray in front of you.
'Enjoy,' he said.
'Thank you... It looks truly wonderful.' With immense effort, you lifted your gaze to meet his. He was so close, like he had never been. Only a small table separated you; compared to the lab table, it was like a penguin to an elephant. If you had moved your foot any further forward on the floor, you would surely touch your guest's leg. Just the mere thought of it brought a faint blush to your face. Trying to distract Kirsh from it, you added. 'Won't you try?'
Shaking his head in response, he looked at you again with that strange uncertainty in his eyes. Your heart fluttered with fear at the sight of it... But if he had intended to reject you, would he have done what he was doing? Wanting to mask your nervousness, you grabbed the juice and drank half of the glass. Trying to keep your tone casual, you asked: 'You want to tell me something?'
'When you'll eat,' he said quietly as you, with a slightly trembling hand, scooped up a piece of waffle.
So you ate, with your heart in your mouth. The waffles were wonderful, and the raspberry jam (because it was raspberry) tasted as if your granny made it. The question flashed through your mind: where had he found such delicacies? The employee canteen didn't serve such goodies. You didn't dwell on it for long, though. The more pressing question was what he was going to tell you and whether your fluttering heart could handle it. How much easier it must have been when your heart wasn't fluttering at every opportunity. How peaceful life could one have as an android, whose heart was as artificial as their intelligence, beating calmly, constantly in the same rhythm, no matter what.
Despite your nervousness, you ate every last crumb of your waffle and washed it down with a few hearty sips of coffee.
'Good girl,' Kirsh praised you, almost making you throw your coffee at him. 'I'm sorry,' he added quickly, seeing your reaction. 'I think I'm taking things too far, but... I must confess, I'd love to be the one telling you things like that.' He smiled smugly. You blinked in disbelief while he was talking further. 'Yesterday, Eins gave me hope I hadn't dared to have until now, so I must ask you...' He paused for a second. 'Would you be my Valentine? At least for a test,' he shrugged, seeing that he had completely caught you off guard. 'And if you decide you like this... function, you could have it permanently.'
You couldn't even utter a word, so he continued calmly and confidently, like he was discussing some random research. 'I didn't think something like feelings could evolve in an artificial heart, or rather, an artificial mind, but they did evolve. Being attached to you feels as natural to me right now as running daily internal tests... It might not sound very romantic. After all, you know me, I'm not a romantic, and yet, I deduced from Eins's words that you still care. That you're not going away for the weekend because of me.' His mischievous smile was driving you crazy, same as his words, but he didn't stop talking. 'Tell me, is that true, (Y/N)?' He frowned, looking at you expectantly. You hadn't realised how close you were. As he spoke, he leaned toward you, and like a flower drawn to the sun, you did the same. 'Is this just a system malfunction creating delusions, or do I actually have a chance?' he whispered.
Even though you were trembling with excitement, you didn't allow yourself to believe it so easily. You rose from your chair and took a few steps back, trying to escape this dizzying closeness for a moment. 'W-what if I'm delusional? Just yesterday, I thought you were disgusted by my affects. Apparently, you have an installed program that protects you from unwanted feelings from people around you...'
Kirsh also stood up. 'Exactly, the program protects me from unwanted attention. And your attention is most welcome, (Y/N). You handled my programming with such grace, making me care about you even before you started to care about me. Yesterday I still wasn't sure if Eins was right. I decided I needed to think about it and give you time to recover from the argument you two had. Or rather, the reprimand, as you called it.' As he spoke, he was approaching you. 'I'm still not sure today, but I just had to ask you. If I'm just a coworker to you, fine, I'll bear it. But I don't deny that I'd like to be someone much more precious in your eyes.'
You swallowed hard, moving against the opposite wall. You couldn't get too close to him; it would blur your thoughts. Kirsh waited patiently for you to say anything.
'It's so hard to believe it. Just yesterday I was sure...'
He was by your side in a split second. 'Tell me what you wanted to tell me today, before Atom and Dame interfered,' he demanded sharply. 'I saw the Valentine's Day card, (Y/N). I want to know the truth.'
You finally gave in, wanting it all to be true and not just a fantasy. 'I love you. Of course, I love you.' You admitted loudly. 'It's impossible not to...'
He kissed you, taking your breath away. He didn't let you finish your thought and interrupted, kissing you as he'd never done anything else in his entire life.
You never expected this. Sure, you dreamed of it and wanted it, but you didn't think it would happen so quickly and that he would be the one to initiate it. His lips were so soft and warm. You involuntarily pulled him closer, pressing your whole body against his. Now, it wasn't him kissing you; it was you kissing him. You had completely taken control, and he willingly submitted. You gently pushed him towards the bed and, forcing him to sit down, jumped onto his lap, still sucked to his mouth. With great pleasure, you run your fingers through his soft hair, another thing you were dreaming of for so long. You pulled away from his lips for a moment to cover his face and then his neck with kisses. He purred softly as you licked the port behind his right ear.
'Tell me you enjoy this,' you meowed, looking at him. He looked so stunning with hair in an even bigger mess than usual, reddened lips and eyes that gleamed with bliss.
'Of course I do.' He said, fondly stoking your face. 'My sensory impressions may be different from humans', but I can also experience pleasure from physical contact. And I have similar urges too. For example, the texture of your skin... I always wanted to touch you, to check if it's so soft it appears to be.'
You clung to him even tighter, resting your head on his shoulder. 'You have no idea how long I've been dreaming about this.'
'I know perfectly well, (Y/N). Just as long as I have.'
You raised your eyebrows. 'I didn't think artificial people dream too.'
'They might not dream as humans do, but they sometimes think of scenarios that would benefit them. And sometimes imagine what it would be like if they gave in to the urge.' He looked into your eyes, brushing away stray strands of hair, and smiled. 'Well, you will continue to kiss me so brazenly, or are you finally going to give me that Valentine's Day card you made?'
'You bastard!' You punched him lightly. 'You started the kissing yourself!'
'And I intend to finish what I started,' he assured you, smirking. 'But first I want to see how hard you worked to impress me.'
An Australian man lived 100 days on BiVACOR’s magnetic-levitation artificial heart—a lightweight (650 g) device inspired by maglev trains. It’s now in human trials, aiming to cut transplant waitlists within six years.
Decided to draw something related to another song I really like, “Artificial Heart” by Jonathan Coulton!! He wrote “Still Alive” and “Want You Gone” from the Portal franchise so he’s another artist I recommend if you’re into nerdy indie stuff
I also had a sketch of one based on “Sticking It To Myself,” which is from the same album, but I didn’t have time to finish it. so here’s what I DID have finished!
