The family of 11-year-old heart transplant recipient Ava Cooper is thankful for her second chance at life after a lengthy wait on the transplant list ended in a miracle moment that has since gone viral.
« Daddy, I’m getting a heart! » Ava Cooper shouted in the clip.
« Are you serious? Oh, my goodness, » her father, Sean Cooper, responded.
Ava Cooper received her transplant in March and is looking ahead to a return to school, her family shared with Fox News on Friday — closing a grueling chapter that included over 200 days in the hospital.
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« I just get to live a normal life now and do the things I want to do, » Ava Cooper said on « Fox & Friends, » smiling along with her parents and younger sister.
Her father, Sean Cooper, added that the family’s gratitude extends to the family of the donor who made that future possible.
« We wouldn’t be in the position where we’re at if it wasn’t for the generosity of the donor family, » he said.
« We’re blessed and words will never be enough to say the thank-yous that they deserve for the gift that they gave us. »
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Ava Cooper’s medical battle began almost immediately after birth. At just 6 days old, she underwent her first heart surgery.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, which treated her, she was born with several complex heart defects, including a hole in her heart, chambers reversed in position, a misplaced heart on the opposite side of her chest, and a missing or blocked pulmonary valve.
Doctors performed a handful of operations throughout her childhood, but by September 2024, her only option was a transplant.
« It was emotional, obviously, for so many reasons… » Jamie Cooper said of learning her daughter would finally receive a heart.
« It was just emotional. I think dad and I were both just overjoyed, relieved, scared… it was amazing, probably one of our best days. »
Ava Cooper has had more energy since her surgery and said she can « go places » she couldn’t visit before.
Source link : https://www.foxnews.com/media/parents-girl-whose-touching-heart-transplant-story-went-viral-thank-donor-family-gift-life
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Publish date : 2025-08-23 21:00:00
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