Thanks to a Heart Transplant … A Tennessee Family Will Celebrate a Very Special Valentine’s Day
Children’s Organ Transplant Association
Giving Hope … Making Miracles
Bloomington, Indiana – February 1, 2012 -- February is the month to celebrate love and hearts. For the Deane family of Franklin, Tennessee, February truly is a month to celebrate hearts … and selfless gifts from the heart. Two-year-old Witt is alive, growing and able to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year because of the heart donation he received 18 months ago.
Norm and Alison Deane were blessed by the birth of their first boy, Henry Withers “Witt” Deane, on April 6, 2010. But joy turned quickly to fear when they were told he had a congenital heart defect (aortic stenosis). Witt was rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Doctors were able to repair the baby’s heart valve and Witt went home. He appeared to be thriving and the Deane family was ready to return to a normal life with their newborn and their two daughters, Riley and Ellery Kate.
A week before Witt’s scheduled two-month cardiology check up, he seemed fussier than usual, developed a cough and refused to eat. Hearing this, the cardiologist worked him into her schedule a little early and discovered that Witt’s mitral and pulmonary valves were not working properly. While the team of specialists was trying to come up with a plan, Witt went into respiratory distress and was placed in the pediatric intensive care unit.
It was then that doctors told Norm and Alison that Witt’s best chance for survival was a heart transplant.
According to Norm, “Finding out that your baby needs a heart transplant is devastating news. At the time we didn’t even know it was possible to perform a heart transplant on a newborn child and we felt all hope for our son’s future was lost. Our minds were filled with doubt that we would ever be able to take our son home and see him grow up. Fortunately we learned over the days that followed that heart transplants in small children like Witt were very successful. We also learned that they are very expensive. One of the social workers at Vanderbilt mentioned the Children’s Organ Transplant Association to us and suggested that we research how COTA might be able to help. After reading the COTA materials, we decided to become a COTA family.”
Almost immediately, friends and family members throughout the Nashville area got to work planning and organizing fundraisers to help with mounting transplant-related expenses. Neighbors mowed their grass, brought them dinner and helped take care of their other needs … all in an effort to make sure that Norm and Alison could focus on caring for Witt and their two daughters.
On September 22, 2010, after 111 days on the organ waiting list, Witt received his new heart and his second chance at life. However, the Deane family endured even more fear and despair when within hours following the transplant, Witt developed some very serious, life-threatening complications. Baby Witt rebounded well and three weeks later, Norm and Alison took precious Baby Witt home. Their homecoming, after being gone from their home for five months, was sweet.
“Once we knew Witt needed a new heart we were filled with doubt that we would ever be able to take him home and see him grow up. We knew we needed a miracle. COTA’s help has given us hope … hope that Witt can have a long and happy future post-transplant,” said Norm.
Today Witt is doing very well -- growing and developing just as any toddler should. His cardiology reports are excellent, and he continues to amaze everyone around him with the happiness and the joy that is in his new heart.
“With COTA’s help we were able to experience a true miracle -- a family giving our son new life. Our organ donor’s parents had such big hearts to donate this organ … to give us this gift. Witt’s new heart has taught us so much about life and giving. Our donor family’s selfless generosity has changed us forever,” said Alison.
A true COTA miracle of the heart!
The Children’s Organ Transplant Association is a national charity that provides fundraising assistance to transplant families. Since 1986, COTA’s priority is to assure that no child or young adult is denied a transplant or excluded from a transplant waiting list due to lack of funds. 100% of all funds raised in honor of transplant patients are used for transplant-related expenses.
For more information about the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, or to find a COTA family in your area, please email kim@cota.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kim Carter Parker (217.494.6110)
