Baby John's return home to P.E.I. after heart transplant a Christmas miracle, says his mom
A Summerside family says having their baby boy back home with them is nothing short of a Christmas miracle.
John, the son of Chad and Kali Dawson, was diagnosed with severe heart failure when he was one year old.
A heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy caused his heart chambers to thin and stretch, growing as large as a teenager's heart.
John underwent a heart transplant in Toronto this fall, and this week — after spending a year in hospitals in Summerside, Halifax and Toronto — the toddler and his family returned home.
'We've been immersed in hospital life for so long'
"I can't even describe what it was like. We've never ever been so happy and overwhelmed," said John's mother Kali Dawson.
"But then, also scared too, because we were nervous. I mean, we've been immersed in hospital life for so long, it's also very hard to step away from that and say, OK, now we're doing this, we're doing everything on our own."
The Dawsons spent nearly a year in hospitals waiting, hoping and praying for a heart.
And that came with its highs and lows.
Like the first time they were told there was a heart for John — news that was unfortunately met with information that surgeons were unable to retrieve the heart.
"It was devastating," said Kali Dawson. "After months and months and months of waiting."
'They started to sedate him in our arms'
Dawson said they had been through so much by that time, they turned their focus to the next time.
It took several more months before they received a second call, but they didn't believe it was real.
This time, it was.
John was going to get his heart.
"I don't think we even believed it until we took him down, they started to sedate him in our arms so he wouldn't be scared," said Dawson.
"My husband and I said over and over again, 'How are we going to let someone take him and take his heart out of his body? How are we going to do that?' You know, it was just unimaginable," she said.
"But we did it and he did it. He's the strongest little guy that we've ever seen. And we have a hard time complaining about anything because we saw what he went through this past year."
'I thought I was dreaming'
Four hours after he went in, transplant surgeons told them the surgery went "better than expected," she said, and that John was going to be OK.
"I thought I was dreaming."
Within days, they had John up and walking around.
The Dawsons spent another two-and-a-half months in Toronto for follow-up care before getting the word that they would be able to return home to P.E.I. for Christmas.
Dawson said she was in shock.
"We never really knew if we would go home, when we would go home, if we would go home altogether," said Dawson. "I can't really describe what it was like."
Summerside police and fire officials provided a police escort for the family to their home, as a way of welcoming John and the family back to P.E.I.
'We're forever grateful'
Dawson said she's so thankful for all the support they have received from family, friends and people across P.E.I. who have followed their journey on a Facebook page she set up to document their experience.
"We received so much support. It's amazing. We're forever grateful. We're so proud to be from P.E.I."
Dawson said her son is back to being a regular toddler, playing with his big brother, Charles, and sister, Rosemary. They decorated their Christmas tree this week.
"We were worried that every transition was going to be so hard for him," said Dawson.
"Turns out he just took everything in stride. He's been home for 72 hours, he's never slept so good, he's been sleeping through the night and he's never — in this past year — really slept through the night."
Dawson said she knows there will be more appointments in Toronto, with more doctors' visits and more tests — but for now, she's happy to be home with all her family.
"We can't believe he's home for Christmas," she said.
"He's a Christmas miracle for sure, for sure."
