LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dr. Deb Kozik has worked in the busiest trauma centers in the country, where everyday is a race against the clock. Today, hearts are her specialty.
Kozik is a board certified cardiothoracic surgeon at Norton Children's Hospital, tasked with the responsibility of more than 150 different types of surgeries -- including heart transplants.
"Dr. Bahaaldin Alsoufi and I do all of these together. It takes two surgeons," she said.
The average wait time for heart transplants in kids is six months, though some wait much longer.
Looking back on her most recent transplant, she got the call overnight and was on a plane by 9:30 that morning.
"It's always an exciting day when you accept a heart for a patient," Kozik said.
One filled with mixed emotions.
"When we go for organ retrieval, I'm going to be the one who stops the heart," Kozik said.
It's not something she likes to thing about.
"A family's just lost a child. And this is a very difficult day for them," Kozik said. "Before we get started, there's always a prayer in the room. We say our thanks. Often times, a parent will write a letter they want read to the teams taking the organs, so we know something about their child."
"They all matter. Every single one of them," she said. "It provides meaning to a terrible loss."
This latest trip marked close to 130 transplants for Kozik.
"I try to focus on who's getting the heart," she said.
Kozik says with every donated heart, she ties the packaging closed with a bow.
"Because it's a gift," she said.
Not long ago, Chloe Clark was on the receiving end of that life saving transplant. Now two and half years old, she's thriving with every beat of her new heart.
"Chloe was in the hospital 441 days, 15 months," Jay Clark, Chloe's dad, said.
Chloe was born with a rare heart defect called Tricuspid Atresia and was gifted a heart in May of 2023. Her parents Jay and Mackenzie Clark documented every moment, while bringing awareness to pediatric organ donation.
"That's the catch 22 about all of this. We're overjoyed, because Chloe's getting a gift, but that gift comes with the tragedy that happened on the other end of that," Jay said. "We hope to one day reach out to that family and let them know how much that gift meant to us and how much their loved one means to us because they're forever part of our family now."
The transplant team included.
"They're not just doctors. They're not just surgeons. They're people who have feelings and they understand the magnitude of what they're doing," Mackenzie said.
"You're giving them a chance at life they might not otherwise have," Kozik said. "That's huge because you've impacted them for decades to come."
"A gift like that is priceless," Mackenzie said.
Chloe's parents encourage everyone to have a conversation about organ donation, no matter your age.
"When things are going well is when you should talk about it, so you're not hearing about it for the first time during your worst day," Mackenzie said.
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