GREENSBORO, N.C. — In a hallway filled with cheering medical staff, 10-year old William Sidebottom held his mom's hand as he walked out of the Riley Hospital for Children in Indiana on Monday.
William is the Asheboro boy who has suffered from the heart condition known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) his whole life. He has undergone several surgeries at his young age just to get a chance to live.
Late last year, William asked for Christmas cards to cheer him up after his family got disappointing news from doctors that his donor-heart was failing.
His mother Jennifer Lowery told WFMY News 2 that he was worried that would have been his last Christmas.
They wanted to make it his best Christmas and embarked on a Christmas tour of sorts. William also loves sports cars so well-wishing members of the public treated him to rides in his dream exotic cars, like Ferraris and Lamborghinis as well as a fire truck. A surprise parade of exotic sports cars was also held in his honor and to the delight of William's other school mates.
The family refused to give up on finding a new heart for William, and with the help of the public, raised money and attention to help him. The family also moved to Indiana to be closer to relatives so they could get childcare help while William and his mom were in the hospital.
After a successful heart transplant, Wiliam and his mom left the hospital this week.