In Loving Memory
Matheus Basuni
February 25, 1960 — July 6, 2026
Matheus Basuni, 66, passed away on July 6, 2026, after a courageous battle with heart failure. Born on February 25, 1960, in Pontianak, Kalimantan, Indonesia, Matheus immigrated to the United States where he built a life defined by resilience, generosity, and unwavering optimism.
His journey was marked by life-threatening complications, difficult transitions, and countless moments when the future felt uncertain. Yet through every challenge, he remained guided by the words he lived by:
“Do small things with great love.”
Matheus was known throughout his life for his generous spirit and his gift for helping others. He had a unique ability to see potential in people and to create paths for them to succeed. Whether through quiet acts of kindness or steadfast encouragement, he left an indelible mark on those around him. He lived fully, loved deeply, and held onto hope through every impossible moment.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Janti, and their three children: Billy, Ben, and Bella.
Matheus' legacy is one of courage, compassion, and the transformative power of maintaining hope in the face of darkness.
The Journey of Matheus’ Heart Transplant & Fighting Spirit
Matheus’ journey through heart failure was marked by extraordinary resilience and what many would consider miraculous moments. Despite facing multiple life-threatening complications and being told on many occasions that his condition was terminal, his determination to keep fighting became a reflection of the man he was. A person who lived life fully, loved deeply, and held onto hope through every impossible moment.
2018 – A Second Chance at Life
After developing heart complications at 58, Matheus suffered a silent heart attack and was admitted to the Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit in June 2018 in critical condition. He underwent open-heart surgery and received a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) — a mechanical pump that helped his failing heart circulate blood while he awaited a transplant. Five months later, he received the incredible gift of a 20-year-old donor heart and underwent a second open-heart surgery.
On July 22, 2018, Matheus successfully received his heart transplant at UCSF, beginning an entirely new chapter of life.
2024 – Surviving the Impossible
While visiting family and friends in Los Angeles, Matheus experienced acute heart transplant rejection in June 2024. While in the ICU, he suffered cardiac arrest. His heart stopped for 26 minutes, yet against extraordinary odds, he survived. While still unconscious, he was airlifted back to UCSF, where he underwent weeks of intensive treatment and eventually recovered enough to return home.
2026 – His Final Fight
Nearly eight years after his heart transplant, Matheus began experiencing severe kidney complications as his overall condition declined. For months, he struggled with significant fluid buildup before being admitted to UC Davis Medical Center on June 11, 2026. The following day, he was transferred back to UCSF for specialized care. During his stay in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU), he underwent fluid removal, continuous dialysis (Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, or CRRT), and plasmapheresis over several days. As his condition worsened, he became unable to eat and required a feeding tube for nutrition. After exactly one week in the ICCU, his medical team concluded that further treatment would no longer change the outcome. They presented two options: remain in the ICCU and allow nature to take its course, or transition to inpatient hospice care. Matheus, however, asked for a third option. His final wish was to return home. To ride one last time in his beloved white Jaguar XJ8, spend his remaining days beneath the centuries-old oak trees he loved so dearly, and be surrounded by his family and closest friends. His doctors strongly advised against it, explaining that his condition was too unstable to leave the ICU and that he would no longer have access to the medications and intensive support that were keeping him alive. But true to the way he had lived his entire life, Matheus refused to give up on what mattered most. Through determination, persistence, and his unmistakable charm (with just a little good-natured guilt-tripping of the hospital staff), he convinced his care team to honor his final wish.
On June 18, 2026, he made the two-and-a-half-hour journey home to Sacramento.
The Greatest Gift
Against all expectations, Matheus spent 18 more days at home surrounded by the people, places, and memories he cherished most. Those days were filled with love, laughter, conversations, his favorite foods, countless visitors, and precious moments that became lifelong memories for everyone fortunate enough to share them with him. Matheus will always be remembered as a fighter, a believer, a man devoted to serving others, a builder of relationships, a dreamer, and an inspiration to everyone who witnessed his unwavering determination to embrace life — even in the face of impossible odds. Throughout his journey, there were three moments when the odds said his story should have ended. Yet each time, he found a way to keep going. Whether one calls them miracles, blessings, or simply the extraordinary strength of the human spirit, those moments gave him precious time. Time to create more memories, strengthen relationships, and continue touching the lives of those around him. In the end, perhaps his greatest miracle wasn’t simply surviving the impossible — it was being given the chance to spend his final days exactly where he wanted to be: at home, surrounded by the people and places he loved most.
That is how Matheus chose to live. And that is how he will always be remembered.
