6-Year-Old Returns Home With Heart Transplant After Spending 372 Days In Hospital

Mar 01, 2020 by apost team

Dylan Nettles, 6, went back home from the hospital after a 372-day stay. The child, a native of Hampton, Georgia, had undergone surgery for complex congenital heart disease. He had had his first open-heart surgery when he was only a year old.

In January 2019, he suffered heart failure and was admitted to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Heart Center. He was five years old at the time. The Advanced Cardiac Therapies team there assessed him and put him on their waiting list for surgery to receive a heart transplant.

The Daily Mail reported that Dylan had many congenital heart defects such as a hole in the tissue that separated the two sides of the heart. In addition, only one of Dylan’s ventricles worked, which made it difficult for his heart to effectively pump blood through his body.

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Dylan had to stay at the hospital during the long wait for the transplant. In an interview with Good Morning America, Dylan’s father, Kenneth Nettles, talked about his son’s long stay at the hospital. He explained that Dylan often had not felt all that ill, so he hadn’t always understood why he needed to stay at the hospital. Kenneth also praised his son for keeping a “positive upbeat attitude,” which made it easier for everybody involved in his care.

Dylan soon became a favorite with the hospital staff. The hospital put out a press release that praised Dylan for his friendliness, ready smile, and good humor.

During his year at the hospital, Dylan made several friends and took part in celebrity interviews. He took advantage of the hospital’s school program and was thus able to graduate from kindergarten. He and a favorite nurse took part in a mock marriage. Dylan also enjoyed playing video games and pulling the occasional prank.

After 358 days at the hospital, Dylan underwent his long-awaited heart transplant surgery on January 9. The surgery was a success, and the hospital discharged Dylan on January 23. They let him celebrate the momentous day by ringing the end-of-treatment bell, which is usually reserved for cancer patients who have finished their last round of chemotherapy treatments.

Dylan’s father was ecstatic to have him back home. He later reported that Dylan had immediately begun to explore the house to see if anything had changed during his absence. He then went to his newly redecorated room. The entire family spent much of the first week in Dylan’s room simply enjoying his presence. Dylan’s story not surprisingly made the news.

The video from Good Morning America tells the story of Dylan’s struggle with congenital heart disease and his stay at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Heart Center. It also depicts his triumphant departure home after a successful heart transplant.

Have you read this story before? Do you know anybody who underwent a heart transplant? Please offer your comments in the box below.