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Mother celebrates son's new heart in emotional video

By Cox Media Group National Content Desk
March 9, 2016

A Burlington, North Carolina, mother is celebrating great news about her son Wednesday.

Tina Turner got a phone call about her 13-year-old son, Albert, who was born with a heart condition that makes his heart weak.

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Albert, affectionately called Alj, was getting a new heart after waiting over 90 days for a transplant in North Carolina Children's Hospital.

"Alj was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy when he was 4 months old," Turner told WGHP. "His heart was barely squeezing. That was the beginning of our journey. The doctor said he wasn't going to make it overnight. I was like -- I know that there's a God. He's going to make it."

Turner said she got a call about the good news while using a gift card to get her nails done to get out of the hospital and give her son some space.

She shared the video of her reaction on a Facebook page that tracks her son's journey.

"You don't understand," Turner said on the phone, in tears. "This is wonderful. Are you serious?"

I initially got the news about Alj getting the heart from transplant coordinator after giving my baby some space at his request, so I went to use my gift card to get my nails done .. My response after ended in me kicking my feet in the air wanting to get up and shout.

Posted by Teamalj fighting heart disease on Wednesday, March 9, 2016

"My response after (the video) ended in me kicking my feet in the air wanting to get up and shout," she said in a caption of the video.

As joyful as Alj's mother was about her son's new heart, Alj was in disbelief.

A video of her son's reaction was also shared to the page.

Aljs response to getting his news about the heart

Posted by Teamalj fighting heart disease on Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Alj's surgery is Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Alj's brother, Luke Turner, said his mother is out of work and has set up a GoFundMe page to help with the family's expenses. Over $16,000 has been raised toward a $25,000 goal.

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