Flores was more interested in his fist than he was in the dozen or so photographers documenting his release from the hospital. Just 3 weeks ago, his heart was failing.
"He was placed on a list, and thanks to a wonderful donor, Adrian got his heart almost two weeks ago," Dr. Daphne Hsu said.
It was a delicate surgery, with another special challenge. The heart was from a child twice Adrian's size.
"So in this situation, we're obviously extraordinarily grateful to the donor," Dr. Samuel Weinstein said. "And the challenge to the doctors is to make something that is twice as big as it should, fit."
And they did. Adrian had been on a waiting list for just six days. And his parents were particularly grateful to that donor family.
"I really thank the donor, God, hospital doctors," dad Juan Carlos Flores said. "We have our son back. That's basically the most important thing."
No parent would disagree.
Last year in the U.S., 99 babies under the age of 1 got a heart transplant, thanks to the very difficult and generous decisions made by some grieving parents.
Adrian is not out of the woods yet. Theres is a possibility of rejection and infection, but a devoted staff and devoted parents give him very good odds.
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WEB PRODUCED BY: Bill King
NEW YORK AND TRI-STATE AREA NEWS
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