Eleven-year-old Gracie Greenlaw is back in Fort Collins, trading hospital gowns for roller skates after a combined heart and liver transplant at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora. The surgery, one of only a handful of pediatric dual heart-liver transplants ever completed in the United States, followed months of intensive care and a fast donor match. Her doctors and family say the operation gave her a second chance at childhood and spotlighted just how critical organ donation is for kids with complex conditions.
Hospital milestone and the surgical plan
Children's Hospital Colorado reports that Gracie's operation was the hospital's first pediatric dual heart-liver transplant, pulled off through detailed coordination across 25 multidisciplinary teams. Surgeons described a marathon day in the operating room, where they transplanted Gracie's new heart first, while the donor liver was kept viable on a TransMedics Organ Care System in the same OR. That setup bought the team time to complete two separate procedures as safely as possible. Dozens of specialists and more than 100 staff members were involved in her care, underscoring just how complicated a dual-organ transplant is in a child.
From Fontan surgery to a quick donor match
Gracie was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and underwent multiple open-heart surgeries as a toddler, including the Fontan procedure. Over time, she developed serious complications, including plastic bronchitis and worsening liver dysfunction. She spent nearly six months at Children's Hospital Colorado before being listed for a combined heart and liver transplant in April, her father told CBS News Colorado. The family was matched with a suitable donor in less than a month. Her family and care team emphasized that both organs had to come from the same donor and match her blood type to give her the best shot at long-term success.
How rare is a combined pediatric transplant?
In its announcement, Children's Hospital Colorado put the surgery in a national context, noting that only 38 other pediatric heart-liver transplants had been performed in the United States at the time. That makes Gracie one of a very small group of children to undergo such a technically demanding procedure. Hospital leaders framed the operation as a major milestone for both their pediatric transplant program and the broader Rocky Mountain region, saying it shows they are prepared to take on high-risk, highly complex cases when needed.
Recovery, gratitude and the donor family's sacrifice
Now back home in Fort Collins, Gracie is once again roller skating, playing dodgeball, and having sleepovers, her family told CBS News Colorado. Her parents and her medical team expressed deep gratitude to the donor and the donor's family, whose decision made the transplant possible. Dr. Dania Brigham called the surgery life-saving and urged the public to consider registering as organ donors. According to CBS, two more pediatric combined heart-liver transplants were completed elsewhere after Gracie's surgery, bringing the national total to 39.
What this means for families and clinicians
Clinicians say Gracie's case highlights the importance of specialized Fontan programs that follow patients for years, watching for long-term complications and mobilizing large teams when a complex, staged operation is needed. The hospital has established a Fontan Multidisciplinary Clinic to manage these patients, as noted by PR Newswire. For more information on organ donation and how to register, visit OrganDonor.gov.
