Family: “Tayt did awesome!” Heart surgery successful for Rigby boy

SALT LAKE CITY — A 9-year-old Rigby boy is recovering peacefully after an extensive heart transplant surgery at Primary Children’s Medical Center.

Tayt Andersen’s family says the surgery was a success and his heart is “beautiful.”

According to posts on the Tayt’s Wish Facebook page, Tayt is off bypass and doctors said he did great during the operation.

“He swam through the surgery like no big deal:),” Tayt’s mother, Chrissy Andersen wrote. “He is off bypass. Heart is beautiful. Dr. Malina said he took it great. He is now in CICU. Tayt did awesome.”

Tayt has waited for a new heart since birth and was denied a transplant twice because he wasn’t well enough. 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.

Tuesday morning Tayt and his mother learned a heart was available and within hours they were on their way to Salt Lake City.

“I’m kinda overwhelmed,” Chrissy Andersen said while traveling. “It’s just been a long time coming.”

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.

Lori Embree, Tayt’s grandmother, tells us representatives from the Ellen DeGeneres have recently been in contact with Tayt. Embree and family members have posted continual updates on Facebook over the past twenty-four hours.

Embree says the family is thankful for everybody’s support and, in a message posted on Facebook, shared her personal thoughts:

“What a day. A moment of quiet and each of us here go into one of the consult rooms and have a moment to ourselves. I’m sitting in one now, and it’s still. And then, this….WAVE came. My thoughts focused on Tayt’s donor and that ultimate gift. We don’t, and won’t know anything about this angel. I think of the angel’s parents… siblings…. grandparents… FAMILY… who are experiencing such tangible and horrible grief. There are no words to convey how truly sorry I am for their loss. Please everyone, pray for them tonight. Angel Family, I love you fiercely. God…please make this angel safe and eternally happy in Your arms.”

Stay with EastIdahoNews.com for the latest on Tayt’s journey.