One week after rapper Drake visited Sofia Sanchez at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, the 11-year-old patient got a second surprise: a new heart, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Sofia was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and underwent open-heart surgery about three weeks ago. After eight weeks of waiting, Sofia on Aug. 26 learned she was going to receive a new heart. Her heart transplant surgery occurred the following day, according to hospital spokesperson Julianne Bardele.
"The surgery went extremely well and with all heart transplants, the next 24 to 48 hours are critical, but the heart seemed happy in its new home," Carl Backer, MD, division head of cardiovascular-thoracic surgery at Lurie Children's, who operated on Sofia, said in an emailed statement to Becker's. Dr. Backer is also surgical director of the hospital's heart transplant program.
"I'm proud of the work our nationally ranked heart transplant team does every day, with our milestone 300th heart transplant a few weeks ago and now 308th with Sofia," Dr. Backer added. "It's been an exciting week for us in the heart center, and of course Sofia and her family."
Sofia will stay at Lurie Children's for another few weeks to recover from her transplant before relocating to the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago for a six- to eight-week stay.
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