At just nine weeks old, Macey’s life began with a borrowed heart.
She was born with a heart too weak to sustain her tiny body, forcing her parents to make an impossible decision: place their infant daughter on the transplant list and wait for the gift of life from another family’s loss. It was a choice rooted in love, faith, and hope.
That gift arrived in the form of a donor heart—one that would carry Macey through nearly two decades of life.
For the next 17 years, thanks to her first heart transplant at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Macey was able to grow up. She learned, laughed, and reached milestones many once feared she might never experience. She played, formed friendships, cheered alongside her teammates, and built memories that shaped who she became.
Most importantly, she lived.
But after nearly 17 years, the heart that had faithfully supported her for so long began to fail. As if that weren’t enough, Macey was also facing kidney failure. For someone whose life had already been defined by one transplant, the news was devastating.
Still, if one thing has always defined Macey, it is her strength—her resilience and her refusal to lose hope.
St. Louis Children’s Hospital had been her second home her entire life. The doctors, nurses, and specialists weren’t just caregivers; they were family. So when it became clear that Macey needed another transplant, the hospital was ready to stand with her once again.
What followed was extraordinary.
In a historic and groundbreaking procedure, Macey became the first pediatric patient in Missouri to receive a combined heart and kidney transplant. The surgery was rare and incredibly complex, requiring extensive planning, precision, and seamless coordination among multiple medical teams.
Even more remarkable, both organs came from the same donor—an extraordinary gift that saved Macey’s life in a way no one could have predicted.
The surgery lasted approximately 36 hours. Surgeons, physicians, nurses, and specialists worked tirelessly, united by one goal: to give Macey a future. It was a medical feat fueled not only by expertise, but by hope.
As Macey slowly woke and began the long process of healing, her journey was far from finished. But step by step, with the unwavering care of her medical team, she recovered enough to return home—just in time to celebrate the holidays.
That Christmas was unlike any other. It wasn’t defined by presents or decorations, but by presence—by the simple miracle of being together, alive, and hopeful.
Though recovery wasn’t easy, Macey embraced it with determination. Follow-up appointments, medications, and rest became part of her routine. Still, progress came.
She returned to school. She rejoined her cheerleading team. Each day, she proved once again just how strong she truly is.
Perhaps most inspiring of all, Macey began looking ahead.
She started applying to college—something that had felt impossibly distant just months earlier. Her dream is to become a nurse, a calling shaped by a lifetime spent surrounded by compassionate caregivers. She wants to give back, to support others the way she has been supported.
One day, Macey hopes to return to St. Louis Children’s Hospital—not as a patient, but as a nurse in the Heart Center that saved her life. She dreams of standing beside children and families during their darkest moments, offering hope from someone who truly understands.
Macey’s journey has been filled with challenges few ever face: a heart transplant as an infant, years of living with chronic illness, and the courage to undergo a second, life-saving transplant. None of it would have been possible without the unwavering support of her family and her remarkable care team.
Throughout her hospital stay, Macey and her family were treated not just as patients, but as people—offered compassion, understanding, and constant encouragement. From nurses at her bedside to therapists helping her regain strength, the team stood with her every step of the way.
Child life specialists ensured that her hospital experience wasn’t only about treatment, but also about comfort, safety, and feeling loved.
“The care team was incredible,” Macey’s mother, Alyson Blythe, shared. “They treated us like family, and we always knew Macey was in the best hands.”
Macey’s story is more than one of survival.
It is a story of community, devotion, and compassion. A story of medical professionals who refuse to give up on their patients. A story of a young woman whose courage continues to inspire everyone around her.
Macey is not just surviving—she is thriving.
With college ahead, a future career in nursing, and endless possibilities waiting, her journey is only beginning. The world is undeniably better with Macey in it.
Her strength, resilience, and hope remind us all of the power of life, love, and the unbreakable human spirit.
Macey, your story is still unfolding—and we are all cheering you on every step of the way.