11-Year-Old Celebrates Valentine's Day After Receiving Heart Transplant
VALHALLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A young girl celebrated Valentine's Day in the most special way -- with a new heart.
Eleven-year-old Michal Lavie was discharged from Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York, on Jan. 24. She had been recovering there after receiving a heart transplant.
Michal and her family moved from Israel to New York in September, and after just 18 days on the transplant list, a heart was found for her.
Her mom says Michal's dream is to get back on the tennis court to play her favorite sport.
"She has a victory picture in her mind, which always we remind her before she goes to sleep and while she's in therapy, that she's holding the bat and playing tennis and this is the goal and this is why she's so motivated," mother Tamar Lavie said.
Following the transplant, Michal had to learn again to talk, walk, read and write in both English and Hebrew.