Christopher Ennis needed a new heart, and soon. The doctors at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia knew this was a possibility before he was even born.

While he was still in the womb, Chris was diagnosed with abnormal aortic and mitral valves, a rare form of congenital heart disease. He underwent prenatal catheter intervention to open the aortic valve; his doctors hoped that this procedure would allow the heart to develop and function more normally. Despite the significant advancements in prenatal catheter therapy, the procedure didn’t adequately improve the obstruction to blood flow from his heart.

Chris was critically ill when he was born at Jersey Shore Memorial Hospital in New Jersey. He was emergently transported to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a life-saving intervention in which a stent was inserted in the atrial septum by an interventional cardiologist. Shortly after this procedure it was determined that he needed a heart transplant if he was going to survive.

The Cardiac Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is a world leader in reconstructive surgery for children and young adults with heart disease. However, some congenital heart defects are so severe that they can only be managed with transplantation. Chris was in the right place. As one of the largest and most comprehensive programs in the nation, the Cardiac Center is one of the few centers in the United States with the qualification and expertise to perform a pediatric heart transplant. Because of the excellent care provided by the Cardiac Center team, Chris was able to survive until a heart became available for him after waiting only one month. His transplant was a success and now he is a healthy 4-year-old.

However, not everyone who gets put on the waiting list has the same happy ending. In fact, 18 people die on the waiting list every day. Recent wait list numbers show that the need for organs is greatly outpacing availability. There are 64 children at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia waiting for transplants, and another 1,988 are waiting nationwide. There has also been a decline in tissue and organ donation across the country. This decline highlights the need for Donate Life Month every April and other awareness campaigns, but also illustrates the reality faced by waiting families. If a person is put on the waiting list, they may never get the organ they need, or if they do, it can take years to find a match.

An anonymous donor saved the life of Christopher Ennis. They gave him the most impactful gift, the gift of life. Every donor has the potential to save up to eight lives through organ donation. In addition, a donor could also restore sight to two individuals through cornea donation and improve the health of up to 50 additional people through tissue donation. The simple act of singing up to become an organ donor could potentially result in happy endings for many waiting families. Become an organ donor. Visit transplant.chop.edu.