{"id":188569,"date":"2018-09-24T11:49:59","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T16:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=188569"},"modified":"2018-09-17T16:18:26","modified_gmt":"2018-09-17T21:18:26","slug":"baby-half-heart-defies-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/baby-half-heart-defies-odds\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby with half a heart defies odds after doctors refuse to help him"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In 2017, Chuck and Tiffany Palmer were devastated to learn that their preborn son Jack had just half a heart and would likely die before his first birthday. They searched for a doctor to help save their baby boy, but even the best doctors in the country turned them away.<\/p>\n

“We didn’t know what to do other than we weren’t going to give up,” Chuck Palmer told local NBC news<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Finally, the couple from Kansas City found hope with the medical team at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Doctors there agreed to help attempt to save their son’s life.<\/p>\n

“They gave us that hope that had been gone for so long,” said Tiffany Palmer. “From the beginning, Jack has been defying odds. Jack is a miracle. Every day that Jack is alive we don’t take for granted.”<\/p>\n

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Jack became the first baby with half a heart to receive a heart and lung transplant<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr. Pirooz Eghtesady performed a heart and lung transplant on Jack when he was just five months old, making him the youngest person to receive a transplant for his condition. He is also thought to be the first infant to ever get a heart transplant across blood types.<\/p>\n

“It’s a tough problem,” said Eghtesady. “People have been working on this for a long time, for decades and historically again the outcome has been less than 25 percent that have made it to their first birthday. He introduces a new future for us. He’s a miracle in many ways, but it opens the door for many other babies and kids just like Jack.”<\/p>\n

According to NBC, three months after his successful surgery, Jack is doing well and is preparing to go home.<\/p>\n

“They saved Jack, so find the hospital that’s perfect for you,” said Tiffany Palmer. “He’s thriving. He’s growing. He’s active. We’re just three months post-transplant and how far he’s come is just amazing to watch.”<\/p>\n

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