Micah's story: The biggest heart you’ve ever seen

Micah’s mom Brittany knows what it means to fight for her life.

Shortly after giving birth to Micah, she was diagnosed with heart failure. She endured two heart surgeries, was shocked six times when her heart beat dangerously out of rhythm, and ultimately received a heart transplant. And, just as she was adjusting to her new heart, another diagnosis emerged – stage 4 lymphoma.

But Brittany persevered, building strength through each diagnosis.

Through it all, Micah watched his mother defy the odds.

Neither of them could have imagined that one day Micah would also need that same resilience.

Following in Mom’s footsteps

One afternoon, 13-year-old Micah came home from school and his mom asked if he wanted to toss a ball around. Usually bursting with energy, Micah surprised her when he declined.

He told her he was having chest pain.

Given her medical history, Brittany knew that symptoms like these deserved quick attention. The next morning, she took Micah to the pediatrician, who found nothing alarming but referred him to a cardiologist as a precaution.

Just two hours later, The Heart Center at Children’s Health^SM had an opening. Brittany took Micah to the center without hesitation.

Micah’s EKG reading was highly abnormal. Yousef Arar, M.D., Pediatric Cardiologist at Children's Health and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, decided to do an echocardiogram (echo). After his echo, Dr. Arar pulled Brittany aside to say: "This is the worst case of hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy I've ever seen. I don’t know how Micah’s organs are getting blood, let alone how he’s running a mile every day."

Micah's enlarged heart was working overtime. His ejection fraction – the measurement of your heart’s strength – was only 7%. A normal ejection fraction is 50% or more. He also had ventricular tachycardia, a fast, abnormal heart rhythm from the bottom chambers of his heart.

Brittany felt every maternal fear she’d ever had surge through her body.

Micah was immediately admitted to the acute care cardiology unit and scheduled to have a device implanted called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to help control his heart rhythm. Jordan Ezekian, M.D., Pediatric Electrophysiologist and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, consulted on Micah’s care and determined that his heart problems, like his mom’s, were likely due to genetics. So she ordered tests that confirmed they both had a genetic form of
cardiomyopathy.

"I looked at his mom’s chart and his chart and it seemed clear that there was something going on genetically. Meanwhile, our transplant team determined he was going to need a heart transplant, just like his mom," said Dr. Ezekian.

Once again, Brittany found herself facing the unthinkable. But this time, it was her son’s life hanging in the balance. "And just like that, again, my life literally flipped on a dime," she said.

The need for peer support

Micah’s ICD procedure went well, with Children’s Health ECMO team on standby to provide support, which, thankfully, Micah did not need.

While Micah was recovering in the hospital, Brittany went to a caregiver support group.

When she returned, Micah said, "Mom, what time is my support group? I’m the one that is going to have the transplant."

Brittany assured Micah she understood and could support him, having been through a heart transplant herself. She also had friends from the transplant community who could provide support.

But Micah was not satisfied. He worried about kids who didn’t have a mom like Brittany – who didn’t have anyone to guide them through the fears and uncertainties of transplant life.

Children’s Health offers patient support groups for hospitalized transplant patients, coordinated as often as infection control measures allow. The "Transplant Heroes" patient group, a 4-week program held multiple times a year, is designed for children awaiting or recovering from transplants. This group provides a space for fun and games while promoting understanding of organ transplants, immunosuppression medication, peer communication about medical conditions and coping skills. But Micah was inspired to do even more and develop a regular connection with teens from various locations.

Stepping up to support other teens

When Micah was younger, Brittany had taught him the lesson about responsibility through the story of "Anybody and Nobody" – reminding him that if something needs to be done, anyone can step up to do it.

She never expected Micah to apply that lesson to do something much bigger than washing the dishes or picking up his LEGOs.

When Micah said, "I guess we’ll have to start our own online support group for teens," Brittany was overwhelmed.

But deep down, she wasn’t too surprised. Micah had seen Brittany earn a master’s degree in organizational psychology – while in the hospital for nine months. And he’d witnessed his mom continually bounce back and pursue her dreams of becoming a nationally-recognized speaker and author.

She had built a life centered on resilience and purpose.

It made sense that her son would mirror her values and strength.

Creating teen-focused journals and launching Transplant Teenz

For Micah, the hardest part about being listed for a heart transplant was the waiting. And while he was waiting, he found comfort in journaling. But he struggled to find a journal that met all his needs. So he stepped up and created his own.

His Brave Journal helps kids process their thoughts, with prompts like "My day in 5 words" and "What did you do to chill out today?" He even designed a special edition just for transplant kids.

"Micah and his mom have a great dynamic. She really encouraged him to examine what he’s feeling and to write it down in a journal, which is probably something we all should be doing," said Dr. Ezekian.

And then Micah and Brittany launched Transplant Teenz, an online support community for teens undergoing or recovering from transplants and their loved ones.

In this virtual community, teens find connection and fun through themed squads like the “Binge Brigade” where they watch Netflix together – or "Foodie Fighters" where they share a love of food and cooking. During meetings, teens work on developing self-compassion or adaptability and discuss the realities of transplant life, like managing multiple medications.

"Teenagers have poorer post-transplant outcomes than younger kids. And that’s partly because teens aren’t great at paying attention to all sorts of things – including taking medicines. So the idea of having teens support each other is a fantastic one," said Ryan Davies, M.D., Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Children’s Health and Professor at UT Southwestern, who ultimately led the heart transplant team that performed Micah’s transplant.

A successful heart transplant

Ten months after Micah got on the transplant list, Brittany’s phone rang – with the news she’d been awaiting. There was a donor heart match for Micah.

Brittany remembers thinking: Not only is my kid going to live, he’s going to thrive.

In October 2024, Micah received his new heart at Children’s Health under the expert care of Dr. Davies.

"Micah and Brittany were terrific to work with. They were both so knowledgeable, but also trusting of the process. And they definitely did their part to make sure Micah was in the best health possible going into transplant and recovering from it," said Dr. Davies.

Brittany also felt like Dr. Davies and his transplant team were terrific – her “dream team.” And she appreciated the way that even though the team has better outcomes than any other center in the country, they were still very open about the risks – and the plans for what would happen if things didn’t go smoothly.

Life after heart transplant

Micah's transplant did go smoothly. He left the hospital in just 15 days, eager to see the friends who couldn’t visit him in the ICU. He knew he could trust his new heart when he felt ready to serve a tennis ball to his mom again.

In January 2025, Micah and his mom celebrated their transplant anniversaries – his 3-month mark and her 7-year milestone – over dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

Together, they continue to build Transplant Teenz, bringing hope to other teens and their families. One of Micah’s favorite parts about Transplant Teenz is sending Transplant Day (T-day) packages to teens on the day of their transplant.

"I can’t tell you what’s in our T-day packages because it’s top secret. But I can tell you that there’s a lot of confetti," he said mischievously.

Micah and his mom are so grateful for the community they’ve built through Transplant Teenz and the expert care at Children’s Health that’s allowed Micah to have a second chance at life and pursue his dream of attending college “somewhere sunny.”

Together, Brittany and Micah plan to make the most of having a second chance.

"What Micah and I have learned through our journeys is something Charles Darwin said: 'The most important factor in survival is neither intelligence nor strength, but adaptability,' said Brittany. "At Transplant Teenz, we work on honing that superpower of adaptability."

Learn more

The Pediatric Heart Transplant Program at Children's Health has given hundreds of children a second chance at life. In 2023 and 2024, they were the busiest pediatric heart transplant center in the country. They routinely and successfully perform some of the most complex heart transplants and they have a wait list mortality rate far below the national average – largely because of how well they care for kids while they wait for a transplant.

Anyone, regardless of age or health status, can become an organ donor within minutes – and save a life of someone in need. Learn the facts and myths about organ donation or sign up to be a donor now.