Ohio Girl Gets Heart Transplant After Long Wait

An 11-year-old girl from Ohio, Ava Cooper, joyfully shared the news with her father that she would finally receive the heart transplant she had been anticipating.

Ava was born in 2014 with multiple heart defects, undergoing her first surgery at just six days old. Unfortunately, her condition worsened in May 2024 when a sinus infection led to heart failure.

Following this health setback, her name was added to the transplant list. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, heart transplants are crucial for children with serious heart issues, as they cannot survive without them.

Ava spent over 200 days at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital anxiously waiting for a donor heart. In March 2025, her family received the life-altering news. Her mother, Jamie, quickly informed her husband, Sean, who was taking care of their younger daughter at home.

When Sean picked up the phone, Ava told him, “Daddy, I’m holding my heart.” His reaction was one of disbelief and joy: “Ah, my goodness… ah, my goodness, Ava,” he responded during the video call.

Ava underwent her heart transplant later that month, performed by Dr. Hani Najm, a pediatric and congenital cardiac surgeon.

Reflecting on the experience, Ava mentioned, “I was so excited and couldn’t believe it was happening.” After a challenging eight months in the hospital, she finally felt strong enough to go home. For her father, that phone call remains etched in his memory.

Sean described that moment, saying, “When I heard Ava say those words—‘I’m holding my heart’—it was overwhelming. After everything she had gone through, we were finally one step closer to getting home.”