Grace Callahan of Braselton was born on Easter Sunday in 2003.
Eleven days later, she was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease: dilated cardiomyopathy, otherwise known as an enlarged heart.
With the help of medications and close monitoring by doctors, Grace’s condition was stabilized for her first six years of life. She took ballet lessons. She played on the playground with friends even though her energy was often compromised by her heart woes.
“She had some limitations but she was able to compensate and live with her existing heart,” said Grace’s mother, Audrey Callahan.
But in January 2010, Grace's health deteriorated. Grace was admitted into Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and placed on the heart transplant waiting list.
Within a week, her body was struggling to the point she couldn’t eat. Her weak heart could not pump enough oxygenated blood to her stomach to allow her to digest her food. She was fed intravenously to help her maintain her strength.
While she waited for several weeks for a transplant, doctors and nurses at Children’s helped Grace and her parents keep their spirits up. Grace enjoyed arts and crafts and bingo in her hospital room. One day, it snowed, and with the help of a nurse, Grace and her mom were able to go outside and toss a couple of snowballs.
Grace enjoyed riding a scooter down the hallways, and physical therapists even helped make a game out of it where Grace was traveling into “secret passageways” where only she had access because of a “magical badge.”
And then, after she waited for three months, and on the ninth day of a special nine-day prayer, the phone rang on the afternoon of a spring day in 2010 to inform the family a heart transplant was available. It was Easter day.
One day after surgery, Grace was eating again, her strength slowly returning, and she was able to return home one week after the transplant surgery.
Grace, who turns 13 on April 20, is now in the seventh grade and thriving. She is a member of the school chorus, as well as being a member of a lacrosse team. She also participates in a youth group at her church. In the summers, she enjoys swimming and going to Camp Braveheart, a special camp for children and teens with heart disease or transplants, held at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge.
Grace’s mother said Grace’s second chance at life has taught them to appreciate the gift of life.
And Easter will always have a special resonance for the family.
“Like many families, we will attend church and celebrate Easter with our family. Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, which gives us a door into eternal life,” said Grace’s mom, Audrey. “Grace is blessed to be given the gift of life, as well as a second chance at life, on this very sacred day.”
