AURORA, Colo.— A baby boy originally from Gillette, Wyoming spent nine months in the hospital waiting for a life-saving heart transplant. Now, Jelanee Bahige is enjoying his time in Denver outside hospital walls with a brand-new heart.
Denver7 first met Jelanee when he was just 8 months old and spending the first year of his life at Children’s Hospital Colorado. We followed up with Jelanee, who is now 1, and his family he after received a heart transplant to see how he was doing.
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"He’s doing really, really well," said Jelanee’s mom Sarah Bahige. "His heart is amazing."
Sarah said her son was born with an uncommon heart condition called idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. It’s a condition where the heart becomes enlarged and can’t pump blood properly.
"He just compensated for the first four months of his life and just got to a point where his body couldn’t take it," Sarah said.
Jelanee first wound up at a hospital in Salt Lake City at 4 months old before he was transferred to Children’s in Aurora. A few days turned to weeks and the uncertainty grew.
"It felt like Groundhog Day," Sarah remembered.
After 254 long days, Jelanee was finally released with a new heart.
The Bahige family is finally together under one roof. Jelanee’s father Valerie Bahige spent Jelanee’s entire hospital stay going back and forth to Gillette with Jelanee’s sister Imanee for work while Sarah stayed by her son’s side.
“Being the four of us now under one roof is what we always prayed for. I’m glad we’re here now,” Valerie said.
They now call Denver home because Jelanee needs regular anti-rejection medication, which he will need for the rest of his life through frequent check-ups at Children’s. While they don’t know if the family will stay in Colorado long-term, they are enjoying their time here for now.
“We’ve taken him to the zoo a couple times and some parks and we took him swimming and he just loves it,” Sarah said.
The Bahige family said they are grateful for the donor and the family who lost a loved one during the process.
“You know, someone lost their child, but something I kind of think about is the child that donated his or her heart to Jelanee didn’t die for that reason. They passed for whatever reason and Jelanee is able to live a full life,” Sarah said. “There’s children that pass before getting a transplant and it’s such a gift people can give to someone else.”
“The donor’s family gave us a second chance with our son,” Valerie said.
To become an organ donor in Colorado, click here.
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