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UCLA doctors perform heart transplant surgery on 7-month-old Nick Draper, while his twin brother

On Feb. 16, Nick Draper, a 7-month-old baby who had been awaiting a heart transplant since birth, continued to fight to live after receiving a new heart in an operating room of the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA.

In a press conference Wednesday, doctors and the child’s parents – Nicole and Michael Draper – spoke to the media, updating the public on the status of infant twins, Nick and Nate. They had both been awaiting heart transplants due to heart conditions.

The twins were born with a heart complication called dilated cardiomyopathy, which weakens the heart muscle and causes it to pump less efficiently.

“It is very rare that they both suffer from the same condition, on virtually the exact location of their hearts,” said Dr. Juan Alejos, the medical director of the UCLA Pediatric Heart Transplant Program.

“I have seen a few scattered cases in the past, but nothing like this,” he said.

The twins were born in Phoenix, but were transferred to UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital when their hearts began to malfunction.

While Nick received his transplant last week, Nate continues to wait for a donor organ.

Due to complications after the twins were born, Nate was not listed for a heart transplant until two weeks after his brother.

Dr. Mark D. Plunkett, surgical director of the pediatric heart transplant program, said Nick’s surgery went smoothly, but took five hours, slightly longer than the usual length of a heart transplant procedure.

Following the operation, the heart did not seem to support or take over the functions of Nick’s circulatory system well. He was subsequently put on a bedside heart-lung support system called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO.

“Nick remained on the ECMO support system for five days, until his heart made a recovery yesterday morning and we were able to wean him off the machine,” Plunkett said. “Rejection of the heart is a fairly common but a significant problem that we face.”

Plunkett said if the rejection of the organ had continued, anti-rejection medications would have had to be employed and Nick may have needed another transplant.

Nick is currently in critical condition at the intensive care unit and is receiving medication for pain, stress and anxiety. An incision made in his breastbone during the surgery is still open, but will be closed in the next few days.

Plunkett said he remains cautiously optimistic that Nick will make a full recovery and will be out of ICU in a week’s time – and back home within a month.

“We’re all buoyed by the fact that Nick received his heart last week, but we’re still looking for a heart for Nate,” Plunkett said.

Alejos said Nate’s condition has rapidly deteriorated in the last week.

“His appetite is decreasing and he needs more help from medication,” Alejos said.

“What we hope to avoid is his heart becoming so weak that we would have to use the ECMO support system for him as well.”

Plunkett said the heart-lung machine can usually only be safely used for a couple of weeks.

“The longer the machine is used, the more complications may develop that are related to (the use of ECMO),” he said.

The twins’ parents stood hand-in-hand as they spoke to the press about their experience and their hopes for the future.

“It’s been a very tough weekend,” the twins’ father said. “Obviously we’re not totally out of the woods yet, but we are grateful for all the support from doctors and everyone else through this.”

“We’re still waiting for Nate to get a miracle,” he added.

The twins’ mother said she was very grateful that someone made the sacrifice so that their son could live.

“We know both boys are fighters. We love them and are here for them as long as it takes.”