ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Macey Brown, 17, returned to St. Louis Children’s Hospital six weeks after becoming the first child in Missouri to receive a combined heart and kidney transplant.

“I’m living life again,” Brown said.

The procedure is so rare that most hospitals may only see a handful of cases. Brown said she was nervous when told about the surgery’s rarity.

“When I was told that, I was kind of nervous, because I’m like, ‘do y’all know what y’all are doing for real?” Brown said.

Brown has faced heart problems since birth. At 9 weeks old, she had her first heart transplant after being born with only one functional side of her heart. Her second transplant came 17 years later.

In fall of 2025, her first transplanted heart failed. This time, her kidneys were also affected,

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