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Words will never be enough: Dad of 11-year-old heart transplant patient grateful to donor's family

Ava Cooper, an 11-year-old heart transplant recipient, and her family discuss their initial reactions to the news, and life since the procedure took place on 'Fox & Friends.'

The family of 11-year-old heart transplant recipient Ava Cooper is thankful for her second chance at life after a lengthy wait on the transplant list ended in a miracle moment that has since gone viral.

"Daddy, I’m getting a heart!" Ava Cooper shouted in the clip.

"Are you serious? Oh, my goodness," her father, Sean Cooper, responded.

Ava Cooper received her transplant in March and is looking ahead to a return to school, her family shared with Fox News on Friday — closing a grueling chapter that included over 200 days in the hospital.

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Heart transplant recipient Ava Cooper is pictured with her parents Sean and Jamie. (Courtesy: Jamie Cooper)

"I just get to live a normal life now and do the things I want to do," Ava Cooper said on "Fox & Friends," smiling along with her parents and younger sister.

Her father, Sean Cooper, added that the family’s gratitude extends to the family of the donor who made that future possible. 

"We wouldn’t be in the position where we’re at if it wasn’t for the generosity of the donor family," he said.

"We're blessed and words will never be enough to say the thank-yous that they deserve for the gift that they gave us."

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A stethoscope, a device used to listen to a patient's heart sounds, sits on top of a medical reading. Ava Cooper was born with multiple complex heart problems, according to information from the Cleveland Clinic. (iStock)

Ava Cooper’s medical battle began almost immediately after birth. At just 6 days old, she underwent her first heart surgery. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, which treated her, she was born with several complex heart defects, including a hole in her heart, chambers reversed in position, a misplaced heart on the opposite side of her chest, and a missing or blocked pulmonary valve.

Doctors performed a handful of operations throughout her childhood, but by September 2024, her only option was a transplant.

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