A ten-year-old girl waiting for a heart transplant missed out on her school father-daughter dance—so staff recreated it in the hospital.
Ava Cooper was born on July 1, 2014, with several heart defects.
She had her first open-heart surgery when she was six days old, and in May 2024, a sinus infection escalated, pushing her into heart failure, and she was put on the transplant list.
Ava has spent more than 200 days at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s, Cleveland, Ohio, waiting for a donor heart.
Usually, in February, Ava would attend a father-daughter dance at school, so on February 12, 2025, the hospital decorated her room and turned it into a dance hall.
Corsage in hand, her dad, Sean, 38, was waiting for Ava outside her room to take her to the ball.
Greeted into the space with a round of applause from caregivers who are more like family, Ava and her father danced to a curated playlist of her favorite songs created by one of the music therapists.
Sean, from Cleveland, Ohio, said: “It was an unforgettable experience.
“We can’t thank Ava’s care team and everyone involved enough for making this such a special dance.
“I’m grateful to be a girl dad. It means being inspired to always be better.”
