Two heart transplants, one message of hope: 'Don't give up'

WAUSAU – In October 2024, high school referee Scott Kneser of Wausau learned the harrowing news that he only had six months to live. His heart condition started back in 1982 as a genetic disorder that caused his left ventricle to enlarge. Over those 42 years, Kneser was "cobbled" together by various cardiologists and ended up having an implantable cardiac defibrillator placed after encountering complications with Atrial fibrillation (AFib), which induced an irregular heart rhythm and could potentially snowball into a risk for stroke. After the condition already forced him to stop refereeing 10 years previously, the sudden progression further stopped him in his tracks. “It took my fitness...