Sydney Wilson, a North Texas college junior, is making the most of every day after surviving a rare, life-saving double heart-and-liver transplant that followed a childhood marked by serious medical challenges.
Born with an underdeveloped left side of the heart, Wilson underwent three open-heart surgeries before the age of four and spent much of her early life in and out of hospitals. Despite her condition, doctors said she remained relatively stable through her adolescent and teenage years.
As a child, Wilson created The Sydney Show with support from Children’s Hospital, using the project to document her medical journey and share her experiences with others. She later explained that while telling her own story came naturally, revisiting those memories was emotionally difficult because much of what she endured happened before she had fully processed it.
Years later, complications stemming from her heart defect began affecting her liver. Dr. Ryan Butts, a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Health and a professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said Wilson’s altered circulation damaged both organs, making a simultaneous heart-and-liver transplant necessary.
The first attempt at the dual transplant was canceled at the last moment after doctors determined the donor heart was not viable. Butts said the decision was devastating for everyone involved but emphasized that it was medically necessary.
Wilson later said the prolonged waiting period between transplant attempts was the most difficult part of the experience because of the uncertainty involved.
Throughout the ordeal, Wilson credited her faith for helping her endure setbacks and maintain hope, particularly during moments when plans fell through.
A second opportunity for transplant became possible with the use of the Organ Care System, a technology that keeps donor organs functioning outside the body and allows transplant teams to travel longer distances to retrieve viable organs.
The surgery, which lasted two days and involved transplanting both organs at the same time, was successful. Wilson spent 88 days recovering at Children’s Health, describing the recovery period as the most challenging chapter of her journey.
Now focused on her studies, Wilson has not yet met the family of her organ donor but said she hopes to do so when the time is right.
“I’m here because someone gave me a second chance at life,” she said.