CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — A Chula Vista mother's heart is beating a little calmer tonight, knowing her young son's new heart is giving him & a second chance at a full life.
Running around Chula Vista Marina View Park with dinosaurs in hand is Dorian, and like many six-year-olds, Dorian has the energy to keep him going for days.
"He's definitely into dinosaurs. He loves trains. He loves to build things," said Dorian.
Time in the park on a sunny day wasn't always possible for him. Dorian's undergone eight heart surgeries so far.
"His story actually started when I was pregnant. They found out he didn't have a normal-sized heart when they went to go do his measurements. They figured out it was kind of backward," said his mom.
His mom, Crystal, said since the day he was born, he's been in and out of Rady's Children's Hospital. At the end of 2021, he went into a big surgery his mom hoped would correct his heart.
"Make the blood flow to the heart where it's supposed to go and the oxygen, blood, and everything where they're supposed to go. It failed," she said.
He spent another stint in the hospital and then continued to recover at home from some lingering blood clots.
"April 5, we went in for his next clinic visit and they said they wanted to admit him again because the blood clots were not dissolving or anything they just grew," said Phillips.
That's when they turned to transplant talk.
"He was slowly dying before our eyes," said Phillips.
By May, Dorian's parents got the call that their little one would have a real shot at life.
"We were shaking. We were in disbelief that it happened so quickly," said Phillips.
"Those 12 hours of surgery were absolutely nerve-wracking. We didn't sleep. It was very hard to try and sleep."
Phillps is grateful to the donor's family and is open to meeting them.
"If you would like to hear your child's heart you can," said Phillips.
Looking at her son, full of life 10 months later she says her son means the world to her.
"He's everything to me. I feel very blessed with him. He is my miracle baby," she said.
Rady's Children's Hospital has performed 54 transplants.
