Meet our 2025 Ambassador: Sierra
Imagine being 10 years old and having your heart removed from your body and replaced with a new one. For our 2025 Children’s Organ Transplant Society Ambassador, Sierra, this was a reality.
Four years ago, Sierra was told she had three months to live. It was October 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sierra had an ultrasound and ECG that revealed she had an enlarged heart. After a catheter test and a failed cardioversion (shocking the heart to return it to its regular rhythm), she was referred for transplant.
Sierra was placed on the waiting list in November and received her new heart exactly five weeks later. She was transplanted at BC Children’s Hospital, where she would stay for two months, with limited contact with family and friends.
Her mother, Lisa, notes that, “Once we received the call, Mark and I went to the hospital and were locked in for two months. COVID made it challenging—we were hungry and exhausted.” During this time, they survived on café cookies, faith, and the bond between their four family members: Lisa (mom), Mark (dad), Sierra, and Markus (brother).
While a challenging and rapid journey to transplant, Lisa believes that ten years old was a ‘good’ age for Sierra to endure such complex medical.
“She was able to speak for herself. She could understand everything, and we were very transparent,” Lisa explained. “It was important for it to be her journey and for her to feel in control. In some ways, her journey felt easier than other families.”
During this time, Lisa learned everything she could about Sierra’s medical, noting that she “almost became like a nurse.” With a binder at her side, Lisa compiled all the information she had learned and began administering Sierra’s IV and PICC line medications herself. The team at BC Children’s Hospital trained her to disinfect her skin, perform PICC line flushes, administer medication injections, and use a medical pump. Alongside Lisa’s new CPR certification, Sierra was able to leave the hospital.
Since her transplant, Sierra’s life has changed tremendously. At home, Sierra had to rehome her pet cat and stop horseback riding due to being immunocompromised. She was homeschooled during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be diligent about checking visitors' health when they enter her home. Sierra continues to be on a myriad of medications with various side effects, including nausea.
Her mom observes that children undergoing transplants face newfound responsibilities that other kids their age don’t worry about.
“They have a new responsibility to tell everyone around them,” says Lisa. “They are tired and emotionally exhausted from the influx of information.”
However, in many other ways, Sierra is just a normal kid. She doesn’t feel jealous or special because of her transplant. She hopes to be a photographer and dreams of a day when heart transplant recipients don’t require life-long medications and heart biopsies as part of their continued care.
Lisa believes that the Children’s Organ Transplant Society helps “normalize what is otherwise an uncomfortable situation,” noting that COTS does advocacy where the BC healthcare system fails to. Here, COTS helped Lisa and her family realize they were not alone by learning others’ stories and meeting fellow transplant recipients.
In the future, Lisa hopes that the healthcare system will improve communication between different medical teams—as families often have to shoulder the burden of relaying information between departments. In addition, she desires greater access to liquid compound medications. For children taking multiple medications or who struggle with swallowing pills, liquid compounds can make all the difference in their daily routine.
Looking forward, Lisa and Sierra hope for long-term heart health and resilience.
When asked what message of hope or positivity they would give to others facing a similar situation, they encouraged, “Be honest about your feelings and patience. Share the burden with people around you. Do not do it on your own.”