Mother of critically ill toddler in need of heart transplant shares story of hope
By Lacey Roberts
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CINCINATTI, Ohio (WLWT) — A local toddler is in need of a second heart transplant or she could only have months to live. Her mother shared her story in hopes of making her daughter’s last moments memorable. Aubrie Shears is just 2-and-a-half years old and at 3 months was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy where she would need a heart transplant as soon as possible.
“We luckily got a heart within a month. That was a miracle within itself. She got her heart and everything went well. She did really good. And yes, she was amazing. I would say I mean, we had normal ups and downs that you have, you know, with having a heart transplant,” said Mariah Morrow, Aubrie’s mother.
Her family, on the road to recovery, thought she would be okay.
“Then January of this year, she was at her dad’s house and I got a call at like three in the morning and he said, she’s not breathing,” said Morrow.
She was taken to the hospital and put on life support. Relearning how to walk and function, in May, things took another turn. Aubrie went into cardiac arrest at her biopsy appointment. Morrow said she knew this time was worse.
“I just felt like it was different. And this time it was worse. You know, they said that she needs a new heart at this point and she wouldn’t be viable to get a transplant until March of 2024. They don’t know if she’ll make it until then. And even if she does, she has coronary artery disease as well. So it would infect the new heart and she gets worse. So it’s kind of like a it is a something that’s inevitable, kind of, you know.”
At this time Aubrie’s family is on the list for a heart transplant, but in the meantime, they are planning her last moments to do whatever she wants, praying she makes it to March.
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