Hello, my name is Benita Nicole Martin. I am a 2 year-old who was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and enlarged heart. Here’s my story… It was a normal day for me and my family, we had gone to visit my grandma who I call Ju-Ju. We were having a good time, we even went to dinner to this nice pizza place, everything was fine. When we returned home I was breathing hard but still playing and walking and eating and drinking. My mom and dad started to watch me more closely, even called my Ju-Ju to see what she thought. After we looked on the internet and freaked out my mom and dad had a conversation about what they should do. My regular doctor was saying it was an upper respiratory infection, so my dad said we’ll let just take her to the ER in Rookwood and see what they have to say. Me and mom loaded up and headed to the ER. On the way there I started to get sick, so mom pulled over to help me and called dad. We made it to the hospital and got checked out. Well, they did a chest x-ray and said that I need to go to the children’s hospital immediately because my heart was enlarged. My mom freaked out and started to cry and called my dad and my Ju-Ju to update them. We came back to get my dad and my other grandma Mi-Mi was already at the house to stay with my brothers. We arrived at children’s and did the whole check in thing again. Well, they said my oxygen level was at 88% and started giving me oxygen right away after they cleaned my nose thinking it would help. So they had me on the machine watching my breathing and my heart rate. After a while I had an echo done and that’s when they said the valve of my heart is letting fluids go backwards and get backed up making it harder for me. After that I was admitted to the hospital. That day was January 22, 2023. That’s when my life and my family’s life changed. I was in ICU for some weeks. I had a P.I.C line in. That’s like an IV that goes in your arm all the way to your heart to give your heart all the medicine it needs instead of a regular IV. I had every medicine going and I just wanted to sleep. I started feeling better and started playing and moving and drinking and eating towards the end of January beginning of February. I was moved from ICU to the step-down unit, where there are not as many nurse visits because I’m doing so good.

But I’m still on the monitor. Shortly after that the doctors came in and said I’m gaining weight but I need to have help and that’s when I received my NG tube. I’m still able to eat my favorites, like pizza, chicken, fries, chips, salmon, tuna, spaghetti and stuff like that and drink my water and tea and apple juice. I just need help. So once I received my tube and my weight started to improve they told me I can go home after being in there for a whole month, almost 2. I was sent home February 22, 2023. But I came back March 20, 2023, for a regular visit and wasn’t feeling good so I stayed. I had pneumonia and some type of corona and rondo virus. With antibiotics I was feeling better in no time and after a week I was able to go home and I’ve been home since. Over the time I’ve been out the doctors placed me on the transplant list for just in case, wouldn’t hurt. They would rather be safe than something last minute. Mom and dad were upset again and soon came to realize that GOD is in control and he is leading our way and healing and this won’t hurt. So I was placed on the transplant list. I’m a happy 1-year-old who is blessed to be home with my family and able to move about outside. I never lost a beat. I didn’t know how to talk yet while I was hospitalized because I was just fresh of being 1. And I came home taking first steps to running and playing all over with my brothers. I’m a happy baby and bossy baby but most of all a blessed baby. Thank you for getting to know me and for all of your help.

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the nation’s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy children and young adults. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are free to our families, and gifts to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.