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Life's Greatest Gifts: A Heart for the Holidays

Britney Bagwell's most precious present this year is living inside her.

CLEVELAND — Nothing stands between 33-year-old Britney Bagwell and her kids. But her pregnancy with her first son almost killed her, and led to a discovery that started a 13-year journey to a better Britney.

"In 2006 I had my oldest son Terrell, and after May 27th I started not feeling like myself," she told our Betsy Kling.

Soon after, Britney was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and fitted for a pacemaker. She was just 19 years old.

She was going the doctors regularly for some time, but didn't feel she was getting the care she needed, so she stopped going. Plus, Britney says she felt fine. 

"I knew I was sick but I never let it effect how I carried out my days or change the way I work."

It wasn't until her heart was broken, that she realized it was in danger. In 2012, Britney had to give up what most mothers only dream about.

"In 2012, I found out I was pregnant with a little girl, but when I went to University [Hospitals] they told me it was not a good idea to get pregnant so I had to get an immediate termination," she said through developing tears. "They said it was either going to be me or the baby."

Credit: Britney Bagwell
Britney Bagwell's sons, Terrell and King William.

Britney was crushed. As she tried to figure out why this was happening to her, she kept living the same life she had before. This included smoking at least 2 to 3 packs of cigarettes a day.

By a miracle, Britney got pregnant again a few years later with a baby boy. While shopping for Christmas presents with her mom, a gush of blood came out of her body. She rushed to the hospital to find out she was in danger of having a miscarriage. But little King William is just like his mama, knowing quitting wasn't an option.

"That little fighter, he just kept pushing, and he made it. Nine weeks through, no complications and he came out. Big old eyes, looking up at me. He peed on my chest," Britney laughed.

Credit: Britney Bagwell
Britney and her youngest son, King William.

King was immediately separated from his mother after birth, and she knew something was wrong. Doctors said the heart was getting worse. 

So she started making major changes in her life. She found doctors committed to taking care of her at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute. She followed their directions regularly, including their orders to make one of the biggest decisions of her life. 

The cigarettes had to go. 

Britney was also fitted for an LVAD, or a left ventricular assist device. It is a mechanical pump that is implanted inside of a patient’s chest to help their heart pump blood. Rather than replacing the heart, the LVAD helps it perform its intended function. 

All these steps were preparing Britney for the one thing that ultimately save her life: a heart transplant.

"We gotta do something. This is serious. You have to either get a transplant or an LVAD but we have to do something or you're not going to make it past two weeks," Britney remembers her doctors telling her.

With just three prescription anti-smoking pills, her smoking habit was behind her. She moved onto the next step, getting on the transplant list.

Then the next step, finding out she was getting a new heart. A perfect match.

"I'll never forget it," Britney said. "I was crying, I was happy, and I was like I did it! And my sons don't cry but they was really happy that their mommy was going to get a heart."

Credit: Britney Bagwell
Britney Bagwell and one of her University Hospitals doctors, Dr. Zacharias.

Then the next step, and what felt like the final one, heart surgery. University Hospitals has done 17 heart transplants this year, the largest number for the program over a 12-month period.

But each surgery is different, and Britney's was no exception. Her body began to reject the heart soon after. She endured months of tests at Seidman Cancer Center, all coming back negative.

That brought Britney to her wit's end.

"That's it then. Let me go home to my kids and let me be with them. I don't want to die here in this hospital. I want to go home with my boys."

But the moment she gave up, her test results changed.

"But that's how God work," she said with a smile on her face. "Right after I said I gave up, I'm giving up, this is it I'm done, the test results came back positive. The heart's not giving up anymore."

Britney Bagwell won the fight for her life. For the first Christmas in years, she plans to spend it with her family, at home around her Christmas tree.

"I expect to be here this holiday with my children, and putting up our tree and wrapping gifts together, and carrying on our tradition of one gift on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas Day. I'm really looking forward to it."

Credit: Britney Bagwell
Britney Bagwell and her two boys.

Her greatest gift isn't under the tree. It's living inside her; a gift from a total stranger. She hasn't had the heart long enough to meet her donor family, but she knows just what she'd say to them.

"I want to tell them thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing your child to be a donor so I can be here for my children," Britney says. "I'm taking care of it, and I'm making sure I don't let nothing happen to it. I'm making sure it's in good hands."

Britney is also going back to school online for her bachelor's degree, determined to provide an even better Christmas for her boys next year. This year is tough, though. Britney told our Betsy Kling she feels as though she's swimming in medical bills.

So 3News wanted to add a few more presents under her tree this year. With the help of our incredible partners at Third Federal, the American Heart Association, and Britney's doctor Michael Zacharias, we surprised Britney and her family.

In what Britney thought was just a tour of WKYC Studios, Third Federal gifted Britney hundreds of dollars in food, gas, and general shopping gift cards, and three basketballs for her boys. The American Heart Association gave her family plenty of goodies and two tickets to their Go Red for Women luncheon in February. Dr. Zacharias was on hand to surprise Britney with all the gifts. Watch the full surprise in the player below:

“I’m just happy to have this heart and be here for this Christmas with my children because I always get sick around Christmas time, and I'm finally home for Christmas and not in the hospital. So I'm happy," Britney says.

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