North Texas student produces show after surviving rare double-organ transplant

NTX student documents double-organ transplant journey

Sydney Wilson is making the most of every day. Born with a heart defect, the now college junior almost lost her life.

DALLAS - Sydney Wilson is making the most of every day. Born with a heart defect, the now college junior almost lost her life.

But with innovative technology, she is one of only a few nationwide to undergo a double organ transplant.

And it took two attempts before that heart and liver transplant could happen. It is an incredible story, and one the Southern University junior has already told.

The Sydney Show

Sydney Wilson

As a young child, Sydney wanted her own show. With help from Children's Hospital, she produced The Sydney Show about her medical journey.

"It was easy, because it's my own life, but it was hard to kind of go back and think on everything that I went through because I still haven't processed everything, because it was so much that went on at a young age," Sydney said.

Sydney had three open-heart surgeries by age 4, and was born with an underdeveloped left side of the heart. She did well during her adolescent and teen years, but then a new problem arose. 

Transplant falls through

"Due to the type of heart defect that she was left with, the circulation led to damage in her liver as well as her heart, so she had to do a heart and liver at the same time," said Dr. Ryan Butts, a medical director at Children's.

But the first transplant was called off at the last moment, due to trouble with the donor heart.

"Obviously a heart-breaking decision. Everybody's excited. They'd been waiting for this moment, but it was absolutely the right decision to make," Butts said. 

"That was really the hardest part because the waiting just takes so long because you never know," Sydney said.  

‘I was just calling on God’

Organ Care System - TransMedics

Sydney says her faith in God played a huge role in getting her through the ordeal. 

"I was praying every day, especially when things were going wrong. I was just calling on God: 'Okay, I know you have a plan for my life and I know that all of this is happening for a reason. Even if I don't see why this is happening right now, I'll see it later on,'" Sydney said. 

Finally, the second transplant arrived was conducted with new technology: the Organ Care System, which keeps donated organs functioning outside the body.

Because this new technology keeps organs functioning, transplant teams can travel longer distances to receive life-saving donations.

Successful surgery

The surgery was successful. The 88 days in Children's is a chapter in Sydney's story that will always stay with her.

"The surgery, I believe, was two days. They did both organs at the same time, and then the recovery process was the hardest part. That is something I will never forget," Sydney said.

Sydney's not yet met the family of her donor, but is waiting for when that time comes.