DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A Huber Heights boy that received a heart transplant is finally out of the ICU.
Sammy Jones, “Super Sammy”, was born with a very rare form of Hyperplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a congenital heart defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. He has survived five open heart surgeries in four years.
Now, Sammy officially turned 4-years-old on Saturday and is in the recovery process. His father Garland hopes Sammy’s fifth open heart surgery will be his last. They’re officially out of the ICU and into the Step Down Unit.
“He came around and was talking, wouldn’t hush, yelling no and yes, he didn’t miss a beat and I’m just happy to have my dude back,” said Garland Jones.
After the heart transplant, one of Sammy’s lungs started to collapse, causing further complications and prolonged his ICU stay. However now, Sammy is returning to his normal self.
“He’s only on room air oxygen and a feeding tube so we have to get him off that eventually,” said Jones.
Garland says he has received support and messages from both sides of the coast, the nation’s heart beats for Super Sammy.
“I don’t know how people manage without faith, I tell people all the time that faith is a muscle and we’ve been doing some heavy lifting,” Jones said.
Hopefully things continue to go smoothly, Sammy and his family will move into the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati and then finally return home to Huber Heights before long.
