We were blessed by the birth of our precious baby Witt, our first boy, on April 6 2010. Shortly after Witt was born we learned that he had a congenital heart defect known as Aortic Stenosis which is a narrowing of the arotic valve. After spending a week in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital the doctors performed a balloon valvuloplasty, a procedure where a balloon is inflated across the aortic valve to stretch it open, 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 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 respiratory distress incident 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 was placed on the national heart transplant waiting list on June 3, 2010 and we settled in for the wait for Witt's new heart in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU at Vanderbilt. By God's Grace, Witt grew stronger over the next four months and spent his days spreading joy to everyone that came into his life. His nurses, doctors, family, and visitors were all amazed at the happiness in Witt's heart as he endured daily exams, tests, and procedures.

On September 22, after 111 days on the waiting list, Witt received his new heart. Despite some very serious complications in the hours following the transplant Witt rebounded well and three weeks later we were able to take Witt home for the first time in over five months. It was the most joyous day of our lives as our family was reunited at home with hope for our son's health and future.

Today Witt is doing very well, growing, and developing just as any infant should. We take Witt to see his cardiologist often and all reports to date have been excellent. He continues to amaze everyone around him with the happiness and joy in his heart. We are so thankful for our miracle and blessed to have Witt in our lives.

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.