OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OU Health, the flagship academic health system of the University of Oklahoma, has performed its first pediatric heart transplant in decades at Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health, marking a significant milestone in pediatric cardiac care for the state and region.

On Oct. 6, 2024, a multidisciplinary team of over 20 OU Health physicians, nurses, and experts completed the groundbreaking procedure on 10-month-old Parker Helmerich. Born with critical pulmonary stenosis, Parker had spent about 300 days in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit awaiting a new heart.

Parker's parents, Faith and David, shared their joy with a simple phrase, "There's an angel in heaven who left their heart for me."

The achievement means Oklahoma children and their families no longer need to leave the state for this life-saving care. An estimated five children a year in Oklahoma have had to leave the state for transplants over the past decade.

This achievement establishes Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health Heart Center as the only pediatric heart transplant program in the state, joining an elite group of approximately 65 health systems offering this highly specialized care.

"This incredibly important milestone is 10 years in the making, and I am deeply honored and immensely proud of our team's life-saving efforts," said pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Harold Burkhart, M.D., professor of surgery and Chief of the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and director of the Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgical Program at Oklahoma Children's Hospital.

The pediatric cardiac surgery team at Oklahoma Children's Hospital now performs over 500 surgeries annually, with a 98.8% survival rate for open-heart surgery – above the national average regardless of complexity.

"We are dedicated to improving health outcomes for all Oklahomans and making sure no Oklahoman needs to leave the state for this expert care," said Dr. Richard Lofgren, M.D., MPH, president and CEO of OU Health. "When it comes to children, no parent wants to face an away game for their children's healthcare and this major milestone for our team is another step forward in keeping Oklahoma's kids here in Oklahoma for the advanced care they need."

Learn more about this life-saving achievement.

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SOURCE University of Oklahoma