(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A Moline girl born with two serious heart conditions will celebrate her third birthday this weekend following the 400th heart transplant by Lurie Children's Hospital.
Until a donor heart became available for Delilah Edwards, she needed 10 surgeries and special equipment to stay alive.
Last month, Delilah’s parents got the call they had been waiting for: A heart was ready for Delilah. It was bittersweet, the hospital said, with the knowledge that a donor’s passing made the gift available.
“Every emotion hit us at once,” Ryan, her father, said, according to Lurie.
Dr. Mike Monge, surgical director of the heart transplant program at Lurie, said Delilah is currently doing well and should have a fairly normal childhood.
The girl is “up walking, running around the halls and brining smiles and joy to the staff here,” Monge said.
Her new heart, however, isn't expected to last more than 20 years, at which time she'll need another transplant, he added.
Still, Delilah’s story is a powerful reminder of why more people need to become organ donors, Dr. Monge said.
Delilah turns three on Saturday.