Logan

Logan was born January 31, 2000 and had an uneventful first year of life. It wasn’t until he turned 1 year and 1 week old that he became very sick and was referred to a cardiologist for an enlarged heart. His family was told that his heart was only functioning at a13% ejection fraction. He immediately started intensive treatment plans including catheterization, oral medications, and nonstop testing.

but the days he spends with his Hunt with Heart family he isn’t handicapped, he isn’t sick, he isn’t alone. Those are the free moments in his life where his illness doesn’t define him and he experiences his greatest joys in life. They are his best memories.

“There are things every child dreams of doing and despite his disabilities, Logan is no different. He sometimes fails to accept the inability to do things and other times the realization is a crushing blow. As his parents we have had to watch him struggle his entire life. As parents of a child with disabilities, we sometimes struggle with accommodating his dream, so we are forever grateful to Hunt with Heart and Beaver Creek Ranch owners and staff for making Logan’s dream come true. The day he left for his hunt, I had never seen him so excited that he was going with his dad, hunting, just like every little boy dreams! They bragged about the food, the unlimited supply of cookies, the staff, and accommodations. Though he may have required unconventional methods to shoot a deer, Logan’s guide put him in the stand and the boy drew one final breath, held it as he fired his shot, and drew his first breath as a man. In that moment he knew no pain, no illness, no disability, no limits. For a moment he was free!” -Sheri, Mother

Macey

“In March of 2012, I was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy. This means my heart was dangerously enlarged and the only way to fix it was a heart transplant. While all of my friends were planning what summer camps they wanted to attend, my mom and I had to up root our lives in our small town and move to a large unfamiliar city. To be eligible for my transplant, I had to stay within an hour of Texas Children’s Hospital at all times. We lived in a travel trailer 15 minutes from the hospital, while my dad lived seven hours away. He would visit when possible but the unknown of how long I would have to wait for “the call” saying I was getting a heart was hard on my family. After a year of living like that, AEP was gracious enough to let my dad transfer to El Campo which was only an hour and a half away from us. It was certainly a better situation, but all of our lives revolved around the unknown of how long this would be our new “normal”. During this time, I started a new school and it had nearly as many students as my hometown had in their entire population! Several of my peers had parents who were doctors or nurses at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Two weeks before I would receive my heart transplant, I went to Camp Beaver Creek hosted by Hunt with Heart, and it changed my life forever! All the kids I met were going through all the same stuff I was going through so basically, we were all normal to each other. My guide, Slate, never once treated me as if I was sick and acted like he had known me forever. Before attending Camp Beaver Creek, I was not able to talk about my transplant. Beaver Creek allowed me to not be scared and showed me I wasn’t the only one.

A week after camp on a Sunday one of the other campers that I had gotten really close with, Rylan, got “the call” and was going to receive a heart transplant! My mom and I would go up there everyday after school to see him and his family. Five days later, my high school counselor burst into my class and called my name. She gave me the look…the look that meant my mom had gotten “THE CALL”. We ran down the hall together and my friends were shouting, “Why are you running?” After two years of waiting, I was finally able to proclaim, “I’m getting a new heart!” My life and the lives of my family had revolved around waiting for this moment and when it finally came, it flooded all of us with so many emotions. Fear of the process, excitement of healing, and grief for the family who lost someone they loved but cared enough to give me a second chance at life. My first heartbeat was at 2:15 AM on April 26, 2014. The recovery and healing process was painful, exhausting, and freeing all at the same time. Every minute Rylan and I were in the hospital someone from Hunt with Heart was always there. I had the best gift of all…LIFE! I am a survivor!

I am thankful everyday for this opportunity because I know personally that so many don’t get the chance I’ve been given. Thanks to my Hunt with Heart family for taking all my worries away! I can honestly say Hunt with Heart changed my life forever and I’ll forever love the people of this organization with BOTH my hearts!”
-Macey.