Girl, 8, Receives Lifesaving Organ Donation After Living in Hospital for a Year. Now Her Mom Hopes to Inspire Others (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Kennidi Werley, a Texas-based mom, is touching millions by sharing her daughter’s story

• The 31-year-old’s daughter Oakley received a lifesaving heart transplant after spending a year in the hospital

• Now, at 8 years old, Kennidi says her daughter is “thriving,” as she uses her story to encourage others to cherish the little moments

A Texas mom is touching millions of people by sharing her daughter’s story.

Kennidi Werley, a 31-year-old mom, first learned that her daughter Oakley would need a heart transplant in November 2023 when she was 6 years old after bringing her to the doctor for the Fontan procedure, an operation for children who are born with one working heart ventricle. She and her husband Braden Werley, 31, originally thought their daughter would be having her last palliative surgery for a while, but after three hours in the waiting room, they received the unexpected news.

“Her surgeon let us know her heart was too complex for another palliative surgery, and she ultimately would not have a good outcome,” she explains. “It’s a road we never imagined walking. Her heart was failing, and they told us we had about two years left with Oakley if she didn’t receive a transplant.”

Oakley was officially listed as an outpatient in January 2024 before ultimately becoming too sick to wait outside of the hospital. In February 2024, she was admitted into the hospital so she could be closely monitored while she waited for a potential donor.

Kennidi describes the period of waiting as “extremely hard,” since she and her husband knew time was not on their side. She says watching her daughter connected to an IV pole for a year was hard, but she adds seeing Oakley’s strength during that time made it a little easier. She adds that her daughter was such a “bright light” while they waited for her transplant.

“Waiting was so extremely hard. We knew time was not on our side and this was completely out of anyone’s control. Every day we just prayed, ‘Please Lord, please give Oakley her miracle,’ ” says Kennidi, who’s also a mom to son Kash, 5, and twins Lennon and Legend, 7 weeks. “Oakley is such a bright light. She made the waiting easier by just witnessing her pure joy and love for others in such hard circumstances.”

One year after she entered the hospital as a patient, the proud parents received the call that they had found a match for her. Kennidi says the news came with “so many emotions,” since she recognized that one of her family’s happiest moments was one of another family’s darkest days. Above all, the doting mom says she’s grateful that they said yes to an organ transplant, which ultimately saved her daughter’s life.

“Words will never be enough to express our gratitude,” she shares.

Kennidi noticed the effects of the surgery almost right away, saying that after a 13-hour surgery, her daughter was “glowing.”

“Her once blue lips and purple fingers were now a beautiful pink!” she explains. “Every day she got stronger and stronger. It was truly a miracle to witness.”

Now, at 8 years old, Kennidi says Oakley is “thriving.” The mom of four shares that her daughter is involved in gymnastics and dance, and enjoys spending time with her siblings.

“She has so much energy and wants to do all the things this life has to offer,” she shares. “It’s a life we never could have imagined for Oakley. It’s truly just been the ultimate gift.”

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A year after Oakley’s life-changing heart transplant, Kennidi is still using her social media platform to spread awareness about the importance of organ donors. In a now-viral video, she candidly shared her daughter’s experience, showing gratitude to her daughter’s “little hero.”

“One year ago today… we had no idea what the future would look like. We just never could have imagined this life for Oakley,” she wrote in the caption for her post. “Her little hero’s legacy lives on in her in the most beautiful way. All because of a yes 🤍🙏🏽.”

For anyone who sees any of her videos, Kennidi hopes it encourages them to “never take the little moments for granted.”

“Those are the big moments. The ones we will one day miss dearly and the ones our family prayed so hard to get back,” Kennidi says. “We were out of our home for 16 months waiting on Oakley’s miracle and during her recovery. We are just so grateful to be home all together.”

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