11-Year-Old Girl Undergoes Life-Saving Heart Transplant After More Than 200 Days in the Hospital

After more than 200 days in the hospital waiting for a transplant, 11-year-old Ava Cooper is finally back home with a new heart. Now, she and her family are sharing what it was like to hear the life-changing news.

In March 2025, Ava called her dad with the words she had been waiting months to say: “Daddy, I’m getting a heart.”

“Ava was literally bouncing with joy. She wasn’t nervous at all on the day of her transplant. She walked into the operating room so proud and ready — we all were,” her mom, Jamie Cooper, told PEOPLE.

“There was a sense of calm and acceptance that day,” Jamie added. “We were so overwhelmed with gratitude for the donor, the medical team, and everyone who had supported us for seven months.”

According to Cleveland Clinic Children’s, where Ava has been treated since 2024, she had her first heart surgery at just six days old. She was born with several heart defects, including a hole in her heart, her heart positioned on the opposite side of her chest, and a blocked pulmonary valve.

“After she was born, Ava had to be immediately flown to another hospital. I didn’t even get a chance to spend time with her,” Jamie recalled.

By age 5, Ava had undergone four open-heart surgeries, and for a while, her health improved. But last summer, she suddenly became very sick again.

“Ava started getting sick,” Jamie said. “I noticed swelling in her face, she couldn’t lie flat, and she had trouble breathing. Her doctors determined she was in heart failure.”

Ava was admitted to Cleveland Clinic Children’s in Ohio, where her doctors — including Dr. Gerard Boyle and Dr. Madeleine Townsend — ran extensive tests.

“We realized more surgeries on her current heart wouldn’t help long-term,” Townsend explained. “A transplant was her best option for a good quality of life.”

That decision began Ava’s long stay in the hospital. Even while needing oxygen, a feeding tube, and other support, she filled her days with art projects and celebrated holidays and birthdays just as she would at home.

Her parents tried to make her hospital room comfortable with storage, a fridge, a Roku stick for shows and movies, music through Alexa, and plenty of blankets and family photos. Meanwhile, Ava continued school remotely, finishing 4th grade from the hospital and later keeping up from home.

“Sitting around waiting for your ‘turn’ is exhausting and frustrating,” Jamie admitted. “Waiting is one of the worst parts because it’s so unknown. We did all we could to stay strong and positive for Ava and our family.”

One of Ava’s most memorable moments came in February 2025, when she realized she would miss her school’s father-daughter dance. Her family and hospital staff transformed her room with decorations and lights so she could dance with her dad there instead.

“Even though I had to miss the dance at school, this was magical and cool. I got to dance with my dad to all my favorite songs,” Ava said.

“It’s now one of the best memories I have with Ava,” her dad Sean shared.

Just one month later, doctors told the family they had found a donor heart.

“When we found out Ava was getting a heart, I immediately cried,” Jamie recalled. “We had been waiting and praying for six months. This news meant our family could finally be whole again.”

Ava underwent surgery soon after. Her surgeon, Dr. Hani Najm, said the transplant gave her “a new lease on life.”

“Innovations in pediatric transplant care have greatly improved outcomes and the longevity of transplanted organs,” Najm explained.

Amazingly, Ava only needed a month to recover after being in heart failure for so long. By April 2025, she was able to go home.

“It took us about two months to heal emotionally, but each day Ava grew stronger,” Jamie said. “She chases her 3-year-old sister, takes our dog Rocky on walks, and enjoys parks and pools. We’re definitely making up for lost time.”

By spring, Ava sometimes used a wheelchair or wagon for breaks, but her strength quickly returned. Today, she runs, jumps, and plays like any other 11-year-old.

“She just wants to be a normal kid,” Jamie said. “And now she gets to be.”

Through everything, Ava’s courage kept her family going. “She smiles even in the scariest times,” Jamie shared. “We cheered, but she did the fighting.”

The family doesn’t know who Ava’s donor was, but they hope to one day meet the donor’s family. In the meantime, they want her story to inspire others to consider organ donation.

“Without organ donation, we wouldn’t have Ava,” Jamie said. “I hope more families see the impact it makes, even in their darkest days.”