It was a drastic measure for a desperately ill patient.

Just 41 years old, Phil Hall of Belleville, Mich., was suffering from congestive heart failure. He needed a heart transplant to survive, but doctors were unable to find a donor heart.

With Phil's health failing fast, surgeons at the University of Michigan offered him an incredible temporary solution. They would remove Phil's own heart and replace it with an artificial heart, until a donor organ became available.

"I was real scared, real nervous, but I got to where I just started trusting him," Hall said of his surgeon, Dr. Francis Pagani. "I said 'Well, if I'm gonna put my life in someone's hands, who's better than his?' He's an excellent surgeon."

On Sept. 13, 2006, surgeons at the University of Michigan successfully replaced Phil's own heart with the CardioWest™ Temporary Total Artificial Heart, or TAH-t. The device is designed to pump blood through the patient's body, effectively taking the place of the heart temporarily.

The artificial heart is intended to serve as a bridge to transplant. University of Michigan cardiac surgeon Dr. Jonathan Haft said, "We anticipate the durability of this will be certainly more than 12 months, which certainly should be enough time for us to identify a suitable donor."

Hall was lucky. Just three weeks after receiving the artificial heart, Hall received a heart transplant.

"When I woke up, I just kind of looked around the room, and I didn't see it," Hall said. "I was like 'It worked! It must have worked because I don't see the machine.'"

Hall said he and his wife are grateful to the donor's family and everyone at the University of Michigan who took care of him.

"Every day is a blessing to me," Hall explained. Since the transplant, "things smell different, taste different. It's a whole different world."

Even with insurance, Hall's family is facing enormous medical bills. A charitable fund has been set up to help. To donate, go to any National City branch and ask for account No. 2695449333.

To learn more about the CardioWest™ Temporary Total Artificial Heart, go to:www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p030011.html.