By Jaden Woodard As told to Tanya Leach I was born with a hole in my heart. Before my parents even took me home from the hospital, they knew it was only a matter of time before doctors would need to mend me. I had two heart surgeries by the time I was 2. Those were just a temporary fix. By the time I was 11, my heart started to fail. That’s when we moved to Cincinnati, and I learned I would be put on “The List.” The heart transplant list. Being put on that list is a little like being cast in a starring role in a Disney movie and expecting a happy ending. Even though I was a little worried about doctors cutting open my chest, I thought the transplant would be like pixie dust. I might gain super powers. I might even become “normal.” Turns out, the waiting is the hardest part. At 14, you think everything is going to be immediate. My transformation took time. There was no magic dust that made the bad stuff fall away. My medical journey stood still just as I hurried to get to the good part. I guess life is like that.
Jaden lends his support to the girls’ volleyball team at their Pink Game to raise awareness for breast cancer. Front row, L to R: Kassidy Michel, Maggie Fisk, Maddie Rohrig, Jaden, Jordan Jones and Soyanne Mosbacher. Back row: Rachel Johnson, Liv Hartman, Reagan Griffiths, Jacki Noe, CC Donavan, Lucia Grandison, Denisha Herring and JoRia Cook.
A true gift They say life happens when you’re making other plans. I remember being at a Reds game this summer when I started feeling bad. Then on July 14, the day after the World Cup ended, I was put in the hospital. Almost a month later, I was still there. My family was planning a surprise party for my mom and trying to talk my hospital care team into giving me permission to leave the unit to attend. The day before the party, my doctor came in and asked my mom if she’d like an early birthday present. The doctor had an even bigger surprise: I was getting a heart. Once my mom understood what he was saying, she screamed with joy. She said maybe this was the thing that would make me whole. Maybe this would be the fix I needed. It didn’t really hit me completely at the moment that I was getting someone else’s heart. It’s still sinking in that someone would give me that kind of gift. I had mixed emotions about having a heart transplant. I was
The Children’s Hospital Medical Center staff place a heart-shaped piece of tape to keep his oxygen tube in place shortly after his heart transplant surgery. Summit Magazine 29