𝗔 𝟰-𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗺

A young boy facing major heart surgery alone in a hospital room is now part of the very family that treated him.

Dr. Amy Beethe, a pediatric anesthesiologist at Children’s Nebraska in Omaha, first met a foster child named True in January 2022. He was just 4 years old and preparing for heart surgery, without a parent, guardian or caseworker by his side.

“He was sitting there all alone,” Beethe said. “It just kind of took me aback that this 4-year-old was going to be undergoing heart surgery and just no one was there.”

True had been born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome, a serious congenital condition in which the right side of the heart does not fully develop. The surgery he was preparing for was part of ongoing treatment for the condition.

At the time, True was living in foster care. His caseworker had COVID-19 and was unable to accompany him to the hospital, leaving the young boy to face the frightening procedure alone.

The surgery lasted about seven hours.

During that time, Beethe said she couldn’t stop thinking about the little boy who had arrived without anyone to comfort him.
After the procedure, she called her husband.

“I called my husband and I just said, ‘We need to have a talk when we get home. I need you to have an open mind,’” she told CBS News.
Her husband, Ryan Beethe, agreed to meet True in the hospital. The connection was immediate.

“We went up and met True in the hospital, and it didn’t take long to fall in love with him,” Ryan said. “We knew we needed him in our family.”

Within weeks, True was living with the Beethe family. About 18 months later, the adoption was finalized.

Today, True is growing up in a large family with several siblings. Amy and Ryan have eight children, three biological and five adopted.
The Beethes also worked to help True’s biological siblings find stable homes so the children could remain connected. Family members and friends adopted the other children, creating what Amy describes as a close extended family.

“We found a home for everyone,” she said.

Despite multiple surgeries, True’s medical journey is not over. Doctors say he will likely need a heart transplant in the future.
Dr. Jason Cole, a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Nebraska, says a stable family environment is critical for children with complex heart conditions like True’s.

“Without a successful, loving home life, a patient like True with extraordinarily complex congenital heart disease would not be able to survive,” Cole said. “To be even considered as a viable candidate for a heart transplant, you must be in a stable environment with consistent care.”

For True, that stability now comes from the same doctor who once walked into a hospital room and saw a child facing surgery alone.
“He’s truly become my son,” Beethe said. “I would battle for him like anybody else.”

True, now older and surrounded by siblings, keeps his description of the family simple.

“It’s been good,” he said. “They’re nice and caring… They’re my mom and dad.”