Six-year-old John-Henry wasted no time in sharing the good news when he found out a donor’s heart had become available for him after six months.
Footage recorded at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital in Ohio shows the moment on May 29 when John-Henry proudly paraded the halls, telling his care staff that he was getting a new heart.
The six-year-old was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS, where one side of the heart does not develop correctly. Following multiple surgeries it soon became clear that transplant was the only option, and John-Henry was placed on the waiting list in December 2023, the clinic said.
Dr Hani Najm, the heart surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic who had also carried out John-Henry’s previous procedures, performed the heart transplant the day after this footage was recorded.
John-Henry was able to go home one month later to continue his recovery.
Mom Sarah-Lee said: “Organ donation saved my son’s life. Without it, he wouldn’t be living right now. We’re going to take great care of this special heart, and we’re forever grateful to our donor and their family.”