We first shared Emma Detwiler’s story on Valentine’s Day, when she beat the odds and received a new heart.
The little girl from Avon had been born with a rare congenital condition last November.
This week, after nearly 11 months in the hospital, she finally came home.
Emma’s mother believes her daughter is already beginning to sleep better.
“She’s just a little bit more at peace, a little bit more at ease,” Cara Detwiler said.
“It’s just amazing to have the whole family back together again. We’ve been living this kind of ‘split lives’ almost for the year,” Emma’s father, Sean Detwiler, said.
One parent would often stay at the hospital while the other watched over Emma’s 2-year-old brother Liam.
But the family’s challenges are still far from over. Emma needs machines to breathe and eat and requires several medications.
Yet with her first birthday approaching, her loved ones are seeing the world as different people.
“She’s changed our perspective on life itself,” Sean Detwiler said. “Everything that she’s gone through and everything that she’ll continue to go through,” said Cara.
Later this year Cara said she may reach out to family of the baby whose heart was donated. You can continue to follow their story at https://www.facebook.com/heartforemma/