Feel the Love

There’s a lot of love to be found around Seattle Children’s Hospital. From the doctors and nurses to administration and facilities, from patients and families to all of our wonderful volunteers and donors. And when a child’s heart is not working as it should, there’s no better place to be.

A heart transplant saved 7-month-old Lincoln Seay’s life — and Seattle Children’s doctors say he can pursue whatever his new, healthy heart desires. His parents, Mindy and Rob Seay, share their story.

We thought we had heard the worst when a 19-week ultrasound revealed our baby had a heart defect, but the details were crushing: Lincoln was born with heterotaxy syndrome, which caused his heart to develop on the opposite side of his body with only one pumping chamber. Doctors explained that he needed a heart transplant to survive, and our son was added to the transplant list when he was just 4 months old.

The weeks that followed were excruciating as we watched Lincoln grow sicker and weaker. Then one unforgettable morning, we heard the words we’d been waiting for: “We have a heart for Lincoln.”

Lincoln is now 3 and growing like crazy — his favorite thing to do is chase his older brothers around the house. He is getting stronger every day!

No parent should have to go through this, but we can’t say enough good things about our experience at Seattle Children’s — from financial support, to shoulders to cry on, to helping our other kids find ways to feel at home so far away from home.

When we celebrate Lincoln’s “heart-iversary” each February, we are equally thankful to the family of the donor heart and our extended Seattle Children’s family — the loving group who saw us through every day with expert care and exceptional kindness.

Happy “Heart-iversary” Lincoln and Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you from Seattle Children’s Hospital!