4 months old, needs double lung transplant
Exclusively on FOX, a baby girl with an incurable disease is fighting for her life at Texas Children’s Hospital as she awaits the miracle of a double lung transplant. FOX 26’s Sherman Dessel spoke with her mother, who shared her family’s story and sent a message about donating her organs.
houston – A 4-month-old infant in Virginia is overcoming challenges and battling a rare disease. Her parents are waiting for a miracle donor to receive a double lung transplant at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Little Kylie Overfield spent the first few months of her life in four different hospitals in two states. Kylie is in dire need of a transplant. Her mother, Ashley Overfield, is hopeful and she wants people to know about the battle they are facing.
“Many times at first I didn’t think she would make it through the night,” Ashley Overfield said. “In the NICU I had to sit there and hold her little hand and she didn’t know that she was going to stop breathing. It was scary.”
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This is the daily life of Kylie Overfield and her parents. They are currently waiting for a miracle at Texas Children’s Center.
Kylie gave birth in November 2023 in Richmond, Virginia. Her mother Ashley knew right away that something was wrong.
“As soon as he was taken out, he was put on my chest and as a result, he started turning purple. I freaked out and called the nurse,” his mother said.
After visiting two hospitals, doctors discovered he had a surfactant protein deficiency. This is because Kylie has a rare lung disease that can cause her lungs to collapse. That means she only has a few months left to live. She was recommended hospice, but Kylie has already exceeded her expectations and four months later she is still fighting.
“I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t want to hold my baby as she took her last breath. I’m not going to stop fighting for her. As long as she’s fighting, I’m going to fight,” Ashley said. say.
They did. That led the family to Texas Children’s Hospital. The hospital ranks No. 1 in the nation for pediatric transplant success rates. The biggest challenge will be finding small lungs for her, but pediatric pulmonologist Dr. David S. Moreno McNeil explains how difficult that will be.
“Organ donation is sorely needed. It is a selfless gift to our families. In the case of babies, organ donation is a very rare procedure,” said Dr. Moreno-McNeil . “Without a transplant, our patients would not survive. This is truly a second chance at life. So it really feels like a miracle.”
Kylie is one of 20 children on the country’s organ transplant list. Without her donations she may not be able to celebrate her first birthday. If she required her life support, it could affect her eligibility to receive new lungs. Her mother continues her faith in the hope that a miracle will happen soon.
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“I don’t want any other family to lose a child. It’s heartbreaking. But if they find themselves in that situation, I hope that by saving my daughter they can find some peace.” I hope we can do that,” Overfield said.
Kylie’s parents had planned a wedding for December last year, but the wedding was postponed. They plan to get married next month in Kylie’s hospital room here at Texas Children’s.
Texas Children’s Hospital is the largest pediatric hospital in the United States.
In 2023, Texas Children’s Hospital led the nation in performing the most pediatric transplants for the seventh consecutive year, according to a report from the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN), the nation’s unique public-private organ matching registry. The transplant service completed 99 transplants and outperformed all other children’s hospitals with 10 or more complex surgeries.
For more information on how to register as a donor in the event of your death, please visit click here.
