Hunter Rael, an 8-year-old boy from New Mexico, has received a new heart after experiencing Kawasaki disease, a rare illness that causes inflammation of the blood vessels and serious heart issues.

Hunter's family received a life-changing phone call on Tuesday, informing them that a new heart was available for him.

"We were in shock. We were a mix of emotions. We were crying," Anna Moya, his mother, said.

The news comes right around Hunter's three-year anniversary of his Kawasaki disease diagnosis. On Nov. 1, 2022, Hunter was diagnosed with the rare illness. It primarily affects young children and causes inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body, but in Hunter's case, it caused serious heart issues.

According to the Mayo Clinic , Kawasaki disease most often affects the heart a

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