YOUNG PIANIST’S BROKEN HEART MENDED AFTER RECEIVING THE GIFT OF LIFE

Kelly Morales, heart transplant patient; Kervin Morales, Kelly’s father; and Jenny Morales, Kelly’s sister; Paolo Rusconi, M.D., pediatric cardiologist, UM/Holtz Children’s Hospital; Eliot Rosenkranz, M.D., pediatric heart surgeon, UM/Holtz Children’s Hospital; and Teresa Bueno, DPN, ARNP-BC, FNP, CCTC, Miami Transplant Institute at UM/Jackson.

At age 14, Kelly was taken to the hospital with pneumonia. Doctors then discovered she suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently. Doctors implanted a defibrillator and pacemaker. Kelly’s mom died from a rare heart condition when Kelly was only a year old. Her grandfather also died from cardiomyopathy.

During the past four years, Kelly’s heart stopped several times. “There was one time I thought it was all over. Everything started shutting down, my vision got blurry,” remembers Kelly. “I started saying my goodbyes. I told my dad I love him. He held my hand, and he said ‘I don’t want you to go’. I then started seeing white, a nice light. I didn’t want to leave anyone behind. I also saw my mom’s face. She smiled at me and she looked peaceful. I then heard a voice that told me it’s not time yet.”  

In December 2012, Kelly’s condition got worst and was told she needed a heart transplant.  Her organs were beginning to shut down. Her lungs were filling with fluids, and her kidneys were beginning to fail. Thankfully on February 4, 2013, she and her dad got the call they had been waiting for. Doctors found a match. “We were at the 11th hour.  The night before we received the call, we all prayed for a miracle,” says Kervin Morales, Kelly’s father. On February 5th, Kelly received a new heart at Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. The surgery was a success and doctors say she will lead a normal life.

Kelly and her dad say their strong faith in God has helped them get through these tough times. Kelly says her love for music brings healing to her soul. “Whenever I felt doubt, I played the piano.” Kelly has been playing her keyboard while she recovers at Holtz Children’s Hospital’s ICU. She now looks forward to finishing her senior year at Ronald Reagan High School and going to prom in May. Her dream is to meet professional pianist and also heart disease survivor Paul Cardall. Kelly also plans to study music and dreams of composing music for films such as Pearl Harbor and Gladiator. On Valentine’s Day, Kelly will perform a special song she composed for her late mother. 

February

14, 2013, 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

Jackson Memorial Hospital
Ira C. Clark Diagnostic Treatment Center, Room 254
Corner of Northwest 12th Avenue and 19th Street

After suffering with a debilitating heart condition for four years, self-taught and gifted pianist Kelly Morales recently received the ultimate gift of love – a new heart – making this Valentine’s Day extra meaningful.

*Media can park outside of the DTC