A Spanaway girl who waited seven months for a second heart transplant, only to have it fail, has dodged the odds, doctors say — receiving a rare third donor heart within a matter of days.
Eight-year-old Aiyana Lucas surprised even the surgeon who performed the latest transplants, one on July 3, and then a second, hectic, operation on July 6, when the third-grader’s window for survival was closing.
Last Tuesday, she was stringing beads, drawing pictures and giggling with her grandpa during a sun-dappled walk.
heart transplantswere performed in the U.S. last year
transplants were in children10 and younger
children 10 and younger are waiting for hearts
transplant patients (of all ages) had two previous transplants
kids 10 and younger have received three hearts since 2005
“It makes you believe in a lot of things,” said Dr.