One year after undergoing life-saving heart transplants at the same Ohio hospital, two toddlers — who once clung to life side-by-side — are now thriving and playing together, giving their families reason to celebrate and reflect on how far they’ve come.
Raleigh Havens and Shaun Evans, both treated at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, were suffering from severe heart conditions as infants. Their mothers, Eva Havens and Michelle Evans, connected during the darkest days of their sons’ medical battles, forming a bond forged in worry, hope, and love.
Hospital staff lovingly referred to the boys as “The Berlin Boys” — a nod to the Berlin Heart, a ventricular assist device that kept both boys alive while they waited for donor hearts.
“[I was] very scared for what the future would hold for both of these kids,” Eva told NBC4 Columbus. “They were both in very critical condition when we first met. We leaned on each other.”…