Illinois Boy Becomes Youngest in U.S. to Get a Small Artificial Heart

    He’s the world’s youngest living artificial heart transplant recipient.

    FOX’s Chris Foster reports: 

    (Whigham) “I feel great.”

    Jaheim Whigham’s 11-years-old, from Aurora Illinois. He had an artificial heart put in, six weeks ago at Luries Childrens Hospital in Chicago.

    His parents Michael and Lakim:

    (Michael) “It’s an amazing thing to be here and to have my kid, to just be with every single day.”

    (Lakim) “This is my third child with the exact same heart problem. My other two didn’t make it.”

    Jaheim has hypoplastic heart syndrome, just one working chamber. He had a transplant four years ago his body rejected this past October:

    (Dr. Allen) “We decided to take the chance and to do something innovative.”

    Doctor Kiona Allen… This smaller artificial heart model is still considered experimental. It’s meant to keep him alive until the next actual heart transplant in six to nine months.

    Chris Foster, FOX News.

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