Minnesota community rallies for 10-year-old in need of second heart transplant

An Annandale, Minnesota, boy who survived overwhelming odds as a baby is once again facing a serious heart battle.

Now 10 years old, Henry Dolan is living with heart failure and preparing for the possibility of another heart transplant.

On Tuesday, the community rallied around Henry and his family during a "Hope for Henry" fundraiser at Tacos La Chule in South Haven. The restaurant donated 50% of the day's profits directly to Henry's family to help with medical and other expenses during the road ahead.

The turnout kept the small restaurant busy throughout the day, even prompting one of Henry's grandmothers to jump in and help wait tables.

"I worked at Perkins for 25 years," Cathy Dolan said while helping serve customers.

Henry's grandfather, Skip Dolan, said Henry had lived a relatively normal childhood after receiving his first donor heart.

"He's just been basically a normal boy since he got through that first year and a half or two years," Skip Dolan said.

WCCO first met Henry in 2017, when he was still a baby. He had been born prematurely with two serious heart defects and was given just a 2% chance of survival. Henry eventually received a donor heart and went on to grow into a sports-loving kid known throughout the Annandale community.

This summer, however, Henry began noticing that something did not feel right.

"You guys think I'm feeling better, but I'm not," Henry told his family, according to his grandfather.

Tests later confirmed his transplanted heart is failing.

Henry and his mother are preparing for additional care at Mayo Clinic as doctors determine the next steps and whether he will receive another donor heart.

Despite everything he has already been through, Henry said he keeps focusing on moving forward.

"I mean, it feels kind of amazing because I've been fighting off crap for a lot of years now and I'm still alive and I am still here," Henry said.

The "Hope for Henry" effort has continued online, where Henry's family has been sharing updates about his condition and the journey ahead.

Those who want to follow Henry's progress or learn how to support his family can visit the "Hope for Henry" Facebook page.