Sabres' Rasmus Dahlin Says Fiancee Carolina Got Heart Transplant, Needed Life Support

Carolina Matovac, the fiancé of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, underwent a heart transplant this summer.

In a letter posted to the Sabres' official website, Dahlin opened up about the "traumatic experience" he and Matovac endured during the offseason when she fell ill when they were vacationing in France and spent multiple weeks on life support before receiving a heart transplant:

"While on vacation in France early this summer, Carolina began to feel sick for a few days, which quickly turned into her experiencing major heart failure. Fortunately, she received CPR on multiple occasions, and up to a couple of hours at a time to keep her alive, which ultimately saved her life. Without her receiving lifesaving CPR, the result would have been unimaginable. It is hard to even think about the worst-case scenario.

"She was transferred to a hospital where she remained on life support for weeks before she was a beneficiary of a heart transplant while still in France."

Dahlin went on to praise the efforts of the medical staffs at Hospital Centre of Antibes Juan– Les– Pins, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Marseille, the Sahlgrenska Hospital in Gothenburg and the Hogsbo Rehabilitation Center for their assistance in treating and caring for Matovac.

He also wrote that Matovac is "recovering well and on the path to a full recovery," but she is still working through it before she can return to their home in Buffalo for the NHL season:

"We share all this with you in hopes that we can all appreciate our experiences, the people closest to us, and the importance of fully living each day.

"We want to spotlight the importance of CPR treatment, CPR training, organ donation, and heart-related issues that impact so many people and families around the world. We want to recognize the tireless and oftentimes thankless efforts of emergency and healthcare professionals everywhere. We cannot say thank you enough to all organ donors, and are appreciative beyond words for the new life that organ donation has provided to Carolina."

Dahlin is preparing for his eighth NHL season with the Sabres. He was originally drafted by the organization with the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018.

According to the official website for Dahlin's non-profit foundation, Dahlin and Matovac originally met in 2015 when he moved to Sweden and they began dating four years later.