Baby Girl Returns Home After Successful Heart Transplant

For Esmeralda and Franky Garcia, going home for the holidays means a lot.

Mother Esmeralda Garcia said, “We’ve been dreaming about this moment for so long, being able to bring her home just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

“It feels wonderful. Franky Garcia said, “She’s like a miracle.”

The Garcias knew that when Amelia was born, she would need surgery on her heart. But when the doctors told them their daughter needed a new heart, they were shocked.

They were put on a list for a transplant, and it was hard for them to wait for a donor’s heart. One became available. A day after she got that call, Amelia had a successful surgery at UCLA in Southern California to put the heart of another child into her body.

Amelia hasn’t left the hospital since she was born, but she’s better now and living with her parents in Las Vegas. The parents say it was hard to not know what would happen from day to day.

“I would go into her nursery and wonder if she would ever get to come home. Esmeralda Garcia said, “We got to see the day, and she’s here and doing great.”

The Garcias say that Amelia recently had a heart biopsy, in which doctors took cells from her heart. They say that the new heart is not turned down. They say Amelia takes several medicines every day, but their daughter takes the medicines with a syringe and hasn’t had any big problems.

The couple is grateful to everyone who helped them financially and emotionally while they were away.

“Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support from the community. We really appreciate it all. Prayers are useful. Franky Garica said, “They do help, and miracles do happen.”

“It reminds you that there are a lot of people out there who are cheering for you and your baby, even though they don’t know you. “And it gives you hope,” Esmeralda Garcia said.

Both of them say it is very special to feel Amelia’s heartbeat.

“What I do is touch her little heart and think for a second about the family who gave us a chance to see her reach these important milestones. We don’t want to forget them,” Esmeralda Garcia said.

“Really thankful that the parents said yes so that she could get a heart. We’ll always be grateful to you. “You can’t put into words how you feel because they gave up their baby so that we could live,” said Franky Garcia.

Credits: Fox 5 News