After spending 215 days in a Cleveland hospital, Ava Cooper got the news in March that she -- and her family members and friends -- had been waiting for: a donor heart was available .

The moment she shared that news with her father, Sean Cooper, was caught on video.

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE

"Daddy, I'm getting a heart," Cooper, then 10 years old, exclaimed. On the other end of her voice call came the emotional response from her father: "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, Ava."

Ava Cooper was born with multiple heart defects and had four open-heart surgeries by the time she was 5. In 2024, she started getting sick again and was transferred to Cleveland Clinic Children's, where it was determined the best next step for her was a heart transpl

See Full Page