EJ’s Story

When our son EJ was 8 months old in 2022, our household came down with COVID. It was already one of the toughest times in the world, and we didn’t know things were about to get even harder for our family.

In the first month of 2022, EJ’s father and I took him to the ER because he was having difficulty breathing. We thought it was COVID, but I knew something wasn’t right. Not even 10 minutes after checking in, our son had to be resuscitated—not once, but twice. It was impossible to process everything, especially when we were told we might not even be able to keep our son because of multiple cardiac arrests. No one was sure what his future would hold.

But God had a plan all along.

As we prepared to live in the hospital for months or even years, we lost everything—housing, jobs, and stability—but as long as we had our son, nothing else mattered. EJ’s father and I knew no other way but to turn to God.

Our son was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in the left ventricle. It was not genetic, yet somehow he still developed it. He was placed on ECMO and later the Berlin Heart. All we could do was trust that God would heal our baby—and every other child in that hospital needing the same life-saving care.

Then, the very next month—not even two months into this journey—our son was blessed to receive a heart that was a perfect match. It was an incredible gift to our family, allowing us to continue life with our son because of someone else’s gift of life.

It has now been over three years, and EJ and his new donor heart have been working wonderfully together. At times, things are still difficult—the cost of medications, managing blood levels, and the many challenges that come with caring for a child with such complex medical needs—but I couldn’t be more thankful for the price that was already paid.

We are always grateful to share our baby’s story and the miracle of life that God allowed him to experience again.

– As told by EJ’s Mom