News
News

15-year-old gets heart, surgery successful

By
Aug 21, 2013

Anthony Stokes, the 15-year-old DeKalb resident whose family feared he would die if he didn’t get a new heart, is in recovery today after getting a new heart.

Mark Bell, a spokesman for the family, confirmed today that Stokes was in surgery for five hours Tuesday evening.

Just last week, Stokes was in the middle of a national debate after the hospital rejected him as a candidate for a transplant because he had a “history of noncompliance.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported on the case on Aug. 12, and the hospital reversed course on Aug. 13, not only placing Stokes on the list to get a transplant, but also making his case a priority.

Stokes suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy, in which the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, fails to pump enough blood.

About the Author

Ernie Suggs is an enterprise reporter covering race and culture for the AJC since 1997. A 1990 graduate of N.C. Central University and a 2009 Harvard University Nieman Fellow, he is also the former vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. His obsession with Prince, Spike Lee movies, Hamilton and the New York Yankees is odd.

Follow Ernie Suggs on facebookFollow Ernie Suggs on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Georgia Power's Plant Bowen in Cartersville is shown. The utility wants to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, mainly to serve data centers. (Hyosyb Shin/AJC 2015)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Georgia Power, PSC staff strike deal for $16B expansion to power data centers

Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission’s staff unveiled a deal that would allow the utility to build huge amounts of new power plants, mostly to serve data centers.

Warnock renews push for enhanced job training with bipartisan bill

Employers that come to Georgia “are having a hard time finding workers with the education they need,” U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said in a written statement.

MLK Day, Juneteenth cut from national parks’ free days; Trump’s birthday added

The Trump administration has altered which days national parks will allow free entry for residents and citizens next year.

The Latest

There's something familiar about this strapping young lad.

Credit: Facebook Public Photo

A.M. ATL: Seacrest goes deep

Georgia Power, PSC staff strike deal for $16B expansion to power data centers

Warnock renews push for enhanced job training with bipartisan bill

Featured

A MARTA operator is seen inside the control room of one of the new MARTA trains during the unveiling of these trains on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

MARTA chief says new train cars give smooth, quiet ride

Interim CEO Jonathan Hunt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s editorial board he is focused on project delivery, which he said is key to winning back public trust.

God’s Acre: Former Native American boarding school reveals complex history

A Native American boarding school established by Moravian missionaries in North Georgia in the early 19th century reveals a complicated and compelling history.

Why Midtown’s holiday lights display is a little less vibrant this year

Midtown Bright, the annual winter lights display, was cut back this year.