A heartwarming video showed Ava Cooper, who was born with a serious heart defect, telling her father that she had been cleared to receive a heart transplant, ending nearly 200 days on the transplant list. Ava’s condition required her to undergo four open-heart surgeries before age five, before the transplant, which was performed in March at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital.
For context, while her parents acknowledge the donor family’s loss, they emphasized staying positive and were inspired by Ava’s resilience. After the extensive surgery, Ava enjoys swimming, playing, and celebrating her 11th birthday at home.
In any case, the video began with Ava telling her father, Sean Cooper, about the good news. She said, “Daddy, I’m getting a heart!” Clearly emotional, her father stated, “Oh my Goodness,” before erupting into celebration.
After the surgery was successfully performed, Jamie Cooper, the girl’s mother, posted a statement from Ava. She said, “Directly coming from Ava, you have to remain positive. You have to remain positive and look at the long game.”
Speaking about Ava’s condition, her father added, “When you see your kid going through what she did every day and then that happens, it’s a blessing.” Agreeing, the mother said, “More and more it’s getting better. Like the further out we get from the transplant, the better she is, the better she looks.”
Thankfully, cases like these, where a child recovers from a devastating heart condition, are common with proper care. As we reported, Bret Baier, a Fox News anchor, revealed details about his son, Paul Baier’s, battle with five congenital heart defects.
Initially, the details were revealed after Paul launched a podcast to chronicle stories of residence. Announcing the new venture, Brett Baier posted, “Check out my son Paul’s podcast that he started based on his time recovering from heart surgeries – ‘One Step at a Time’ – asking interesting people about their lives & challenges – getting the advice they’d give. We’re really proud of him.”
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In the first episode of the show, Paul succinctly described his intentions. He stated, “Hello. I’m Paul Baier, and this is ‘One Step at a Time,’ a podcast where we talk to interesting people about their careers, journeys, the challenges they’ve faced.”
Building on this point, he added, “Why ‘One Step at a Time’? Well, I’ve had five open heart surgeries and 10 Andrew classes in the hospital. Doctors and nurses have always taught me just keep walking. It’s vital for recovery. It pumps blood in your muscles and builds strength across your body. That’s my something, my challenge. We’re going to talk about their something and their challenge, and advice they give to others. So please join me for One Step at a Time.”
Watch the clip here:
However, one nasty commenter took issue with the podcast, saying, “The children of the well-to-do get the best health care in America. If he was a child of a Walmart employee, he would be gone.” Defending his son, the Fox News host replied, “Actually, no – every surgery, we were in the waiting room with many families with/ no insurance, or very little income, and @ChildrensNatl provided the exact same care – thanks to the generosity of donors & supporters. But thank you.”
Featured image from embedded video