9-year-old boy receives heart transplant after waiting almost a year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - A children’s hospital in Kentucky is celebrating a major milestone this week.

Doctors with Norton Children’s Heart Institute performed the hospital’s 100th pediatric heart transplant.

“It’s exciting to reach this milestone,” said Dr. Bahaaldin Alsoufi.

The patient, a 9-year-old boy, had been waiting on the transplant list for almost a year.

“We are the only pediatric program in the state capable of doing heart transplants. And we are doing that with outcomes that match those of the best programs in the United States,” Alsoufi said.

According to a news release, Norton Children’s Hospital became the second hospital in the nation in 1986 to perform a heart transplant on an infant.

Since then, the heart institute has grown into a full-service program featuring specialized teams dedicated to heart patients and their families.

“It’s a privilege to be a pediatric cardiac surgeon,” Alsoufi said. “Obviously, we are taking care of some sick patients, and we see them going through all the stages of the treatment and getting better, it’s definitely very gratifying.”

Hospital officials said the boy has been doing well since the procedure and is recovering.

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