Meet Calvin

Calvin’s journey to Phoenix Children’s began in early 2023, when he was 13. An avid basketball player who competes for his school team and several club teams, Calvin began feeling “super tired.” His stamina was depleting, and he wasn’t performing well on the basketball court.

Calvin’s pediatrician ordered chest X-rays, and, after seeing the results, told Calvin’s family to take him to Phoenix Children’s immediately. Calvin was seen in Phoenix Children’s emergency department and from there admitted to the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU). He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy—an enlarged heart.

His condition deteriorated rapidly, and his care team at the Center for Heart Care decided a heart transplant was his best option for survival. On February 1, 2023, Calvin was put on the transplant list. Five days later, a compatible donor heart became available, and Calvin underwent transplant surgery. He was released on February 14 after spending a total of 22 days in the hospital.  

During his inpatient stay, Calvin enjoyed interacting with therapy dogs Butterscotch and Gertie as part of the Animal-Assisted Therapy Program, which is funded by donations. Thanks to Child Life, another philanthropy-funded program, he was able to play video games and get a mini basketball hoop for his room. He also had the opportunity to control one of the OmniPro robots on the sidelines of Super Bowl LVII, which was held in Phoenix.     

Calvin is now a year post-transplant, and he comes to Phoenix Children’s two to three times a month for follow-up care. For the rest of his life, he will need to undergo annual testing of his heart function. He also will be on anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life.   

His mom, Barbara, says that during this experience, Calvin was “an amazing advocate for himself. He is so resilient and confident in his choices. He rarely fears anything. He is stubborn and funny and is a big brother who had the patience to teach his 7-year-old brother to play chess.”  

Today, Calvin is back on the basketball court and doing well. “I feel like I could run a marathon right now,” he says.