Little Firefighter Warrior and BFFs Heart Journey

Chapter 6

Hot shot was awaiting a heart transplant at Texas Children's hospital. Hot shot was wondering when he was going to get his new heart. However things were starting to become more difficult for Hot shot. Hot shot wasn't doing well and Dr. McKenzie and his other doctors decided to put him on a Berlin heart to help hold him off to heart transplant.

Hot shot was now on Berlin heart. He was looking still kind of weak but he was looking better. Hot shot was building up his strength over the next few days while connected to it. Hot shot was feeling a bit better too.

Hot shot was able to watch movies and eat with it in. Hot shot still didn't feel like eating much of anything due to his condition. But it was to help build up his strength until his heart transplant.

It had been a few months since Hot shot arrived at Texas Children's for his heart transplant. Hot shot was wondering if he was ever going to get his heart. Hot shot had been waiting since January for a new heart and now it was May. Hot shot was wondering when the organ would arrive.

Then on May 8th a phone call came in. "Hello?" Dr. Dreyer said. "Really there is a heart for Hot shot?" he asked. Then he took a look and it looked great. "Okay I will prepare the team and tell the family," he said then hung up. "Okay team we have a heart for young Hot shot one of our heart patients. Now let's go we know the drill," he said.

Then the team went to work.

Hot shot was with his mother and father. Then Dr. Dreyer came in and saw Hot shot wasn't touching his food. "I just have a lot on my mind I'm not hungry," Hot shot said.

"Hey what is going on?" Dr. Dreyer asked.

"Hot shot's just not having much of an appetite today," Heatwave said. "We are thinking about tempting him with something else to see if that would get him to eat," he said.

"How about a heart instead?" Dr. Dreyer said.

"You mean there is a heart for Hot shot?" Quickshadow asked.

"Yes Hot shot has a heart," Dr. Dreyer said.

"That is good to hear," Heatwave said.

"I am getting my new heart?" Hot shot asked.

"Yes you are," Dr. Dreyer said.

Hot shot was prepped for surgery and soon taken to the OR. Dr. Dreyer was at the donor hospital and saw the donor heart. "Beautiful, just beautiful. It will work just fine," Dr. Dreyer said and took the heart in a red cooler to the helicopter that was waiting. Then they headed to Texas Children's hospital.

Hot shot was sleeping in the OR. Dr. Dreyer said the heart was okayed for transplant and to get started. The put Hot shot on bypass and removed Hot shot's heart. "Look at this heart, it is a mess no wonder why the kid wasn't doing well," Dr. Adachi said.

A nurse came out to keep Heatwave and Quickshadow updated. "We got the native heart out and soon the donor heart will be placed in." the nurse said.  Dr. Dreyer came in with the donor heart and Dr. Adachi saw how wonderful the heart looked. "Okay now let's place this heart in the chest," Dr. Adachi said. He carefully sutured the new heart in place. Then the cardiac rhythm resumed and they started to wean the heart of bypass. The heart was really starting to warm up now. It was beating regularly and normally. The team was watching to make sure everything was going just fine. They made sure that the heart was beating on its own for a while. Once they knew things were good they closed Hot shot's chest and hooked him up to tubes and wires to monitor him.

Dr. Dreyer came in along with Dr. Adachi. "Hot shot's new heart is beating and he is stable," Dr. Adachi said.

"Such a relief," Quickshadow said.

"Hot shot seems to be doing really well at the moment, we do our best here at Texas Children's hospital to make sure children do well with their new hearts," Dr. Dreyer said. "We are going to monitor him very closely as time goes on to make sure he is doing just fine," he said.

"Thank you so much," Heatwave said.

"Yes thank you," Quickshadow said.

Hot shot was now in CICU. His parents were used to seeing him covered in tubes and wires. Hot shot looked bright pink. He looked much better than he did. Hot shot was sleeping for a long time. Then Hot shot started to wake up later the next day. Hot shot saw his parents there in the room with him. He felt sick and tired, but he knew that was normal after surgery.

His parents were smiling at him and they were happy to see him. Hot shot was happy to see his parents too. Hot shot was wondering whose heart did he receive.

"Whose heart did Hot shot get?" Heatwave asked.

"The heart belong to a boy named Tony who fell from his tree house and hit his head on a rock." Dr. Dreyer said.

"I see," Heatwave said. "That is very sad," he said. "But I am grateful his family chose to think of others in this time of grief," he said.

Hot shot was starting to feel a bit better. Hot shot was soon moved to the step down unit. Hot shot was going to be there for a couple of days and then spend the rest of his time the cardiology ward. Hot shot was feeling stronger now. His family was really grateful he was alive.