First published 2024-09-30 13:32:55
Houston, TX – Two years ago, Ava Thomas, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just three weeks old, faced a grim future as she awaited a vital lung transplant. Then, at the age of four, Ava’s condition deteriorated, and her family began to prepare for the worst. However, in a miraculous turn of events, the Thomas family received a life-changing call that lungs were available for Ava, leading to a complex 14-hour surgery at Texas children’s Hospital. The donor remains anonymous, but their generosity not only saved Ava, now thriving post-surgery, but also four other children that night.
According to data from Donate Life.net, there are currently over 2,100 children under the age of 18 on the national transplant waiting list, with 27% of those children being under the age of five. Ava’s grandmother, Sandra Tupes, stresses the importance of initiating conversations about organ donation early on. She believes parents need to be educated about the significance of these conversations, despite the difficulty of thinking about such scenarios. “Parents need to be brought to the forefront of this issue,” she says, highlighting the impact one family’s difficult decision can have on saving another child’s life.
Ava successfully received her new lungs in November 2022, and although Tupes acknowledges that their family may never know the identity of the donor family, she hoped to convey their gratitude. Over the past year, Ava’s family has been active in raising awareness about pediatric organ donation. They are organizing a golf tournament aimed at both raising funds and educating others on the importance of organ donation for children. Ava, now thriving and enjoying life with her family, continues to serve as a testament to the life-changing power of organ donation.
