LOS ANGELES — Sawyer was born premature at 34 weeks old on July 2022. But even with that and kidney disease, he was breathing room air and was doing great.

He was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit for observation of his kidney, but his parents were expected to take him home within a few weeks.

On his fifth day of life, he spiked a fever and his heart rate climbed to over 300. The NICU immediately had him transferred to a hospital with a cardiac unit.

MRI results later showed Sawyer had suffered a heart attack, likely resulting from his body’s attempt to fight off a common cold he’d contracted at the hospital. The damage to the left side of his heart was so severe that the hospital recommended he be transferred to a hospital that can do transplants. So a helicopter flew him to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

Sawyer has been at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles under the care of Dr. Jondavid Menteer, medical director of the Heart Failure and Transplant Program, and the heart transplant team for over eight months. He’s been on their waiting list for a heart donation since he got there, but recently Sawyer got his miracle. 

His parents Caylin Blake and Robert Forste say they never thought this day would come and are forever grateful to the donor family. Now they want to help spread awareness about the importance of organ donation and giving the gift of life. 

And although it’s still a long road to recovery after baby Sawyer had his heart transplant, his parents are hopeful that he will soon be home and finally get a chance at life.