On Sept. 11, Derrick Witcher got a phone call that dropped him to his knees.
He was at the VA Clinic in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for an annual checkup and was immediately surrounded by medical personnel.
“I just fell to my knees and broke down crying,” recalled Witcher, a former marine. “Someone went to grab the chaplain, who put his hand on my shoulders and prayed for me.
“It took me a minute to compose myself. My wife was still on the phone, and I asked her again what she said — ‘Ava got a heart.’”
It was the call the family had been waiting for since a Berlin Heart was implanted into Ava in May. The compact and mobile unit, a ventricular assist device (VAD), is designed specifically for children to take over the pumping function of the heart.
“It’s been a long road,” said Witcher, Ava’s dad. “It was definitely one of those moments where it was hard to put into words. When I was finally able to tell the people around me, they all started clapping. It felt like we had won the lottery.”
And they had.
Ava, who was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, received her new heart on Sept. 12. She continues to progress and was released to return home to Chattanooga Oct. 17 — her first birthday.
The return home, while a momentous occasion, is bittersweet, said her mom, Jessica Witcher.
Ava is a twin. Her sister, Layla, was born with a more severe heart dysfunction. In March, Layla began showing signs of respiratory distress, and she was eventually transferred to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and placed on ECMO for several weeks before passing away in April.
Ava was asymptomatic until May, when she began showing decreased heart function.
“Her heart function went from moderate to severe,” said Jessica. “We were not comfortable waiting after seeing what happened to Layla. Ava was airlifted to Monroe Carell. Having some familiarity, we knew transplantation was necessary. We were at the point where only her heart was sick, and we felt it was the optimal time to intervene for the best possible outcome.”
On May 30 the VAD was implanted. Three months later, on Sept. 11, the Witchers got the life-changing news that a heart was found for their daughter, forever changing the meaning around the fatal day that the United States was attacked by terrorists.
“So many people lost their lives on that day,” said Jessica. “This is the day that Ava gained life. It’s nice to not always link it to a sad day in history. It is now a day that we had hope again.”
“Things have been amazing since then,” she continued. “She’s done so well. There were so many complications with Layla. … We were so nervous with Ava. She has had the smoothest path. Our hope now is that Ava will go on to do normal things and have a full life.”
That includes spending time with her older siblings Maya, 7, and Carter, 6.
“It will be so nice for all of us to be together to celebrate Ava being home. Unfortunately, Layla didn’t get to celebrate this birthday.
“Ava will get to have cake for the first time,” said Jessica.
As for the symbolism of Sept. 11, the Witchers are excited to focus on the positive impact that the day holds for their family.
“It’s now a day that I look at as a miracle,” said Derrick.
