A moving video shows 11-year-old Ava Cooper sharing life-changing news with her father after 215 days in the hospital.

In the footage, Ava’s face lights up as she tells her dad, “Daddy, I’m getting a heart,” just after her pediatric cardiologist, Madeleine Townsend, MD, whispered the news to her.

“It’s the moment the 11 year old and her family had been waiting more than 200 days in the hospital for. I was so excited and couldn’t believe it was actually happening,” Ava said.

Her father, Sean Cooper, described the relief and emotion of the moment. “Hearing Ava say those words, ‘I’m getting a heart,’ was overwhelming. After everything she’d been through, we were finally one step closer to coming home for good.”

Ava, born with multiple heart defects, had undergone four open-heart surgeries by age five. In summer 2024, her condition worsened, prompting her transfer to Cleveland Clinic Children’s. Dr. Townsend said, “We did a complete workup to try and see if there was anything else we could do to save her heart. We realized doing more surgeries on her current heart was not going to make her better for the long term. Getting Ava a heart transplant was her best option.”

She joined the transplant waiting list in September 2024. During her hospital stay, her family maintained traditions with Sunday dinners, holiday celebrations, and even a father-daughter dance.

In March 2025, Ava underwent a successful transplant performed by pediatric and congenital heart surgeon Hani Najm, MD. After eight months in the hospital, she returned home.

Since then, Ava has enjoyed swimming, playing with her sister and friends, and celebrating her 11th birthday. She now looks forward to going back to school.

Her mother, Jamie Cooper, expressed gratitude: “We can’t even put into words how thankful we are to our donor family. They’re the reason Ava is here today, and we’re forever grateful.”

Ava offered encouragement for others: “Even though it’s different than being at home, you can still do the things you enjoy. Try to make the most of each day.”