Christmas miracle: Teen gets new heart, kidney at Children’s Hospital in Ohio
(CNN) — A Kentucky family got the best holiday present they could wish for — a new heart and kidney.
17-year-old Marquis Davis desperately needed both.
“I’ve got enough clothes that’ll last me for 3 months or probably more,” said Davis’ mother, Sherri Withrow.
Withrow’s clothes are all packed into her white Kia.
“My car is a hotel!” she said.
Because this Christmas, New Year’s and more days to come she’ll be spending it at Children’s Hospital.
“Christmas this year is the best I ever had,” Withrow said.
She said that truthfully.
Her son, who lives in Lexington, received two special Christmas presents at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital this year: A new heart and kidney.
Two organs he waited for a year and four months to receive.
“She goes yeah, we have a heart and kidney for Marquis. So immediately I dropped the phone and said what!” Withrow said.
It’s a relief Sherri has felt many times before.
At just five days old, Marquis had open-heart surgery.
At three years old he had his first heart transplant.
“It was scary and I was like Lord please let him live,” Withrow said.
All of this after being diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which showed the left side of his heart was underdeveloped.
“Fighting fighting fighting fighting,” Withrow said.
“Really, he’s been fighting all his life back and forth, and up and down, from Lexington to Cincinnati, back and forth – doctor’s appointments – blood work.”
In 2018, he was told he’d need a heart and a kidney transplant.
About a total of 17 hours of surgery later, here he stands now with two new organs.
“It’s the best Christmas gift I could ever get. I didn’t think it would come so soon,” she said.
Now, the Christmas angel has only one question in mind.
“He said are you going to call school, I have to graduate!”
Just as he got up from the bed right after surgery, he plans to get up and walk at graduation next year.
“I’ve prayed and cried, prayed and cried,” Withrow said.
How to help
If you’d like to help cover expenses for Marquis and his family, you can do so through the Children’s Organ Transplant Association.