Transplanting a Tiny Heart: Ian's Story

When Harold and Stacey Sanchez welcomed their third child into their family, they knew that their life would be busy and full, but they did not expect it to be filled with hospital visits. Two months after little Ian was born, they found themselves on their way to Nationwide Children's Hospital Emergency Department. Ian had gone all day without wetting his diaper. His mom recalls telling herself not to panic, "but something inside me knew that this wasn't right."

Her instincts were correct. Ian had a chest x-ray which revealed that he had a dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious condition that weakens your heart muscle and causes it to stretch or dilate. Ian's weakened heart was three times the size it should have been for a child his age because it was working so hard and so ineffectively.

Ian was immediately admitted to Nationwide Children's Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, where doctors prescribed an aggressive course of medicines to be taken intravenously. Ian's dad says, "I will never forget how frightening it was to see my son connected by wires and tubes to so much equipment."

Dr. Timothy Hoffman, medical director of the Heart Transplant Program at Nationwide Children's, says, "A lot of children with a weakened heart muscle can experience heart failure, where their heart simply can't keep up with the demands of their body. In Ian's case, the medications weren't enough to save his heart, so he needed a transplant."

Ian's parents remembered not wanting to leave him alone. Ian's mom clearly recalls the day she realized what they needed to do. "I looked at Dr. Hoffman and said, 'I see it. Ian is not going to get better without a transplant, is he?' I don't want him to have a transplant…but I want him to live." Ian's parents knew it could take months to find a heart for their son, but they knew that a new heart was his only hope to live.

The call from Dr. Hoffman came just six days later - they had a heart for their little boy! They celebrated with the nurses who had come to love Ian, but at the same time their hearts broke for the family who had lost a precious child.

Ian was discharged from the hospital just a week after his transplant, and the improvement in him was instant and remarkable. Ian was three months old when he had his heart transplant, and today he visits the hospital every three months for checkups.

Today he is an active, lively 4 year old, and you would never suspect how seriously ill he was just a few short years ago. His parents will never forget his journey to health, and they are thankful for everyone who made it possible. Ian's dad says, "The doctors, nurses and staff are with you through the most difficult times, and they truly become like family. We could never repay them for giving our son the gift of life."

Thank you for helping kids like Ian. The Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the best pediatric heart centers in the nation, and every day children like Ian receive advanced clinical care that is delivered with compassion.

To learn more about Ian's journey and see an interview with his family, visit http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/heart-center-patients .

To make a planned gift to help patients like Ian and many others, contact: