It’s been 12 days since Ollie’s transplant, and while it hasn’t been the smoothest recovery, we’re slowly making our way forward.

The first few days were really tough. He spiked a 104° fever for over 24 hours, which isn’t uncommon after a surgery like this—especially for VAD kids—but still scary to watch. His right ventricle wasn’t pumping super well at first, which led to a cascade of other issues: backed-up pressure in the lungs, liver, and kidneys. He wasn’t peeing, his body was overwhelmed, and by Day 2, he had to be reintubated to help take some of the pressure off his heart and lungs.

That decision, as hard as it was, gave his heart the space to rest and start recovering—and slowly but surely, things have started to improve. After 9 full days on the ventilator, Ollie was finally extubated yesterday (Day 11), and we are so hopeful that his body continues to tolerate it well over the next few days.

It’s been heartbreaking at times to see him struggle through this, especially after everything he’s already been through. But we’ve also felt so incredibly blessed, by our nurses, our care team, and by so many of you. Your prayers, messages, and check-ins mean the world to us. Truly.

We’re clinging to the good:

• For the first time in his life, Ollie has had four normal echocardiograms in a row.
• He’s off the vent, breathing on his own again.
• We’re many steps closer to bringing our boy home.

There’s still a little clot in his left atrium that we’re praying dissolves smoothly with the help of blood thinners—but his team assures us this is something that can happen post-op, and they’re keeping a close eye on it.

Tay and I are just so incredibly grateful for the gift Ollie’s been given. This new heart is already showing up for him in ways we’ve never seen before, and we’ll never stop being amazed by the strength of our little warrior and the brilliance of the team working to get him home.

Thank you for loving him with us. ♥️

— Madison, Tay & Ollie