11-Year-Old Girl Gets a New Heart and is Finally Able to Go Home

An 11-year-old in Ohio finally got the news she’s been waiting for forever. After a lifelong battle with heart defects, Ava Cooper is happy to finally be out of the hospital and in her home with her parents–with a new heart thumping in her chest.

Ava has had multiple heart surgeries since she was six years old and has been waiting 215 days–since her heart started failing—to get a new heart.

She was in the hospital with her mom, Jamie, when she broke the news to her dad, Sean, on video call.

11-Year-Old Ava Cooper Gets a Heart

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“Daddy, I’m getting a heart!” Ava told him in the video.

While Ava’s mom happily sobbed nearby, her dad, shocked, said, “Are you serious? Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness, Ava!”

“I was so excited and couldn’t believe it was actually happening,” Ava said.

The Hospital Had Become Their Second Home

Sean said, “The hospital had become our second home, so hearing Ava say those words, ‘I’m getting a heart,’ was overwhelming. After everything she’d been through, we were finally one step closer to coming home for good.”

Ava was born with multiple heart defects and had four surgeries before she turned 5.

“After she was born, Ava had to be immediately flown to another hospital. I didn’t even get a chance to spend time with her,” said Jamie.

Her Heart Started Failing Again

Ava’s heart was working fine from age 5 to 10, when her heart started failing.

“Ava started getting sick. I was noticing her waking up with facial swelling, not able to lay flat all the way, having a hard time breathing. Her doctors at the time determined she was in heart failure,” says Jamie.

“We did a complete workup to try and see if there was anything else we could do to save her heart. We realized doing more surgeries on her current heart was not going to make her better for the long term, and our goal is to give her the best long-term quality of life. Getting Ava a heart transplant was her best option,” says Dr. Madelaine Townsend.

For 215 days, Ava has needed oxygen, a Berlin Heart, and a feeding tube.

Special Moments Made Ava’s Time in the Hospital Happier

Through all of it, “We had Sunday dinners, threw a birthday party for Ava’s sister in her hospital room and even brought up presents to open on Christmas morning. We were still trying to find ways to create memories together,” said Jamie.

Around the time she and her father would usually go to a father-daughter dance, her parents and the Cleveland Clinic Catalyst Grant recreated a dance setting in her hospital room, full of streamers and twinkly lights.

The Father-Daughter Dance Was One of Her Best Memories

“Even though I had to miss the father-daughter dance at my school, this was super magical and cool. I got to dance with my dad to all my favorite songs,” said Ava.

Sean said, “It's now one of the best memories I have with Ava, and I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who came together to make it possible.”

The Doctor Had Whispered the Good News in Her Ear

Before Ava video called her dad, Dr. Townsend whispered the news in her ear.

“I whispered it to Ava because I really wanted her to be the one to tell her parents. Getting to see Ava’s smile that day is one of the best parts of my job,” says Dr. Townsend.

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Ava had the 14-hour surgery the next day.

“Suffering from severe heart failure, we knew Ava’s transplant would give her a new lease on life. Innovations in the pediatric transplant field have significantly improved patient outcomes as well as the longevity of transplanted hearts and other organs,” said heart surgeon Hani Najm.

Ava’s Excited to Be Home

She was so excited to be back in her own bedroom and be able to see her dog Rocky again.

“Ava’s recovering as expected, and she's getting stronger every day after her heart transplant. Ava has this second shot at life because a family in their worst moment said yes to organ donation,” said Dr. Townsend.

“Even though I missed my whole fourth-grade class, I’m excited I’m able to see my friends, go on field trips and do art projects again,” said Ava.

Thankful to Their Donor Family

“To have her be here in our home, where she belongs, recovering and healing and getting stronger every day and healthy, this is all worth it to me,” Jamie said.

“We can't even put into words how thankful we are to our donor family. They’re the reason Ava is here today, and we’re forever grateful,” says Jamie.

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Ava has some advice for kids with long hospital stays: “To other kids in the hospital, try to find ways to stay positive. Even though it’s different than being at home, you can still do the things you enjoy. Try to make the most of each day.”

What great news for this family. This story is an excellent example of how a blessing (in this case, a heart) can come out of great loss.

WATCH: 11-Year-Old Girl Gets a New Heart and is Finally Able to Go Home

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h/t: Cleveland Clinic

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Inside Edition

Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.