Rigby boy, “Ellen’s Only Boyfriend,” takes first steps days after heart transplant
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SALT LAKE CITY – A 9-year-old Rigby boy who received a heart transplant last week is walking and “doing great.”
Tayt Andersen’s family posted a video on the Tayt’s Wish Facebook page Tuesday afternoon showing Tayt walking down the hallway of Primary Children’s Hospital. Two people are walking with him and, at toward the end of the video, one of the women says, “You’re doing such a great job!”
Tayt received a heart transplant on June 23. He was born premature with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Hydrocephalus, and Spastic Paraplegia. Only one in 50,000 children are born with these conditions and most don’t survive.
Tayt received worldwide media attention after he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2011. The talk show host heard about the Rigby boy after learning he had two wishes: go to Disneyland and meet his “girlfriend” Ellen DeGeneres.
Over the years, many have followed Tayt’s journey on social media. His family hopes the young boy can return back to Idaho within the coming weeks or months.
In a message posted Tuesday, Tayt’s mother writes: “He’s doing such a great job!! He got brave and we are now walking! Such a strong boy!! I love you Tayt!!”