Family Services

Recipient Stories

Oren Smith (cardiovascular patient)

When Libby Smith's son Oren was born in December 1987, he was several months premature and weighed only 3-1/2 lbs. As if that wasn't scary enough, doctors told her Oren needed surgery to repair a heart valve. Instead of taking her newborn son home, the Clinton, Tenn. mom waited while doctors performed a procedure on the eight-week-old to clear a path through the valve.

The surgery worked - until Oren was seven years old. His activity began slowing down, and doctors performed a heart catheterization, finding his valve was still malformed. Not wanting to implant an artificial valve into such a young patient, doctors suggested using a donated valve. In October 1995, Oren again underwent surgery, this time to receive a human heart valve provided by the Alabama Tissue Center.

"Immediately after surgery, his feet felt warm and his toenails were pink; they had never been pink before," Libby said. "Our doctor told us God had given our son a second life. We wouldn't have had him at Christmas if he hadn't had that surgery."

Now Oren is a teenager, zipping around on his roller blades or his bike. Oren also plays trumpet in his school band and recently ran track for his school.

Doctors say he can grow into the valve, which will give him a good prognosis into adulthood. "After that, who knows how technology will have advanced," said Libby. "I'm just grateful my son is alive and healthy now."