Sofia update: She hears her new heart beat, is breathing on her own
Eleven-year-old Sofia Sanchez of Downers Grove is breathing on her own as she is "quickly" starting to recover after a successful heart transplant Monday, her mom said Wednesday.
According to an update on Sofia's Go Fund Me page posted Wednesday by Julie Bizup Price on behalf of Sofia's mom, Natalie Sanchez: "Yesterday started off slow. Sofia was intubated and paralyzed. The plan was to take the paralytic off sometime during the day and the breathing tube out the following day. As the paralytic started to wear off, Sofia quickly started communicating with us that she wanted the breathing tube out. She started breathing over the tube so the doctors turned down the oxygen and she was able to breathe on her own. Sofia was extubated 24 hours after her heart transplant!"
Sofia, whose birthday was Aug. 18, spent the last eight weeks awaiting a heart transplant at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. In a video posted on her cousin's Facebook page Sunday, Sofia said she remained hopeful that she would be getting a new heart soon.
Moments later, her family gave her the good news that her wish had been granted.
The news came a week after her favorite musical artist, Drake, fulfilled Sofia's first birthday wish by stopping by her hospital room. The new heart was her second birthday wish.
According to the Go Fund Me post, "Doctors are amazed at how quickly she is starting to recover. ... The best part of all was when she was able to listen to her heart beat again. It was very emotional. And we are so grateful."