We were blessed by the birth of our precious baby Witt on April 6, 2010. Shortly after Witt was born we learned that he had a congenital heart defect known as Aortic Stenosis. After spending a week in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital the doctors performed a balloon valvuloplasty on his Aortic Valve and were very pleased with the improvement they made on the function of the valve. Following his discharge Witt was thriving and got good reports at both his two week pediatric and cardiology checkups. A week before Witt's scheduled two month cardiology checkup we noticed he had been a little fussier than usual, had developed a cough, and wasn't eating as well so we asked if his cardiologist could work him in a little early.  At his checkup we were told that Witt's echocardiogram showed that now his Mitral and Pulmonary Valves were not functioning properly and we would need to admit him for further diagnosis and treatment. After further diagnostic tests the doctors came up with a plan to try and improve the function of Witt's heart using medications in the short term and eventually when Witt was a little older repair or replace the defective valves. The plan seemed to be working and Witt's doctors were hopeful Witt would be able to go home soon but after a very scary incident of respiratory distress Witt was transferred to the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Not long after his transfer the doctors told us that Witt's best chance for a healthy recovery was with a heart transplant. Witt is now on the national heart transplant list awaiting a new heart. His doctors are very optimistic that if he stays healthy and receives a new heart that he has a very good chance of living a long and healthy life.

With the cost of a transplant often exceeding $500,000, many transplant patients are unable to shoulder the financial burden of such a procedure. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-needy patients. In Franklin, volunteers are raising funds for transplant patients like local baby Henry ‘Witt’ Deane. An estimated $70,000 is being raised by Franklin volunteers.