Hope Sansbury – Heart Recipient

“I think, to me, the word hope means not giving up and believing that there is a possibility that what you’re wishing for can come true. In our situation it was giving our daughter a chance to live, to fight for her own life.” – John Sansbury

At her four-month ultrasound Hope was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS, and would need three open-heart surgeries to survive, beginning with the first stage when she was only a week old. We decided that if the cardiologists at Cincinnati Children’s could give her a fighting chance then we would have Hope, which became her namesake to remind us and everyone around her that miracles are real.

The first surgery was an initial success, but at 6-weeks-old she went into heart failure. She would need a heart transplant. After nearly three months waiting for her miracle, her new heart arrived! She is now 2-years-old and fighting to keep her new heart and we have faith she will thrive. She is a playful, happy, adventurous little girl who inspires those around her every day. Every giggle, every coo, every milestone, is sweeter when you’ve walked right up to the brink of losing it and survived.

John and Tess Sansbury, Parents of Hope

More Stories

Press Releases

LifeCenter Community Breakfast Reminds Everybody of the Importance of Community

LifeCenter Organ Donor Network’s (LifeCenter) 21st annual Community Breakfast, held November 17th, 2022, was a moving, inspiring occasion to reflect upon how much community matters …

Read More →
Press Releases

LifeCenter Continues To Grow, Adding COO and CAO

LifeCenter Organ Donor Network (LifeCenter) continues to grow in its mission to save, heal and change lives in Greater Cincinnati, with the addition of two …

Read More →
Press Releases

Join LifeCenter Organ Donor Network for a Conversation about the Black Family and Generational Health: Diabetes and Kidney Disease

LifeCenter Organ Donor Network (LifeCenter) is excited to partner with the Cincinnati Chapter of The Links, and The Center for Closing the Health Gap for …

Read More →