2-Year-Old Heart Transplant Recipient Gets a Special Christmas Gift

CHANDLER, Ariz. - A Chandler toddler who received a heart transplant just in time to celebrate the holidays with his family. Now 2-year-old Jesus Garcia got another special gift – he got to meet Santa for the first time.

Santa Claus made an early visit to a Chandler home on North Central Drive where a very special little boy was waiting.

Jesus Garcia met Santa for the first time. The 2-year-old was a little shy and unsure of what was going on. He’s been through a lot and his mother was overwhelmed with emotion.

“It’s amazing, I’m thankful for everything..it’s my son’s first Christmas with us,” said Raquel Garcia.

Jesus was diagnosed with a heart complication and recently received a transplant after spending just six days on the transplant list.

Though she’s struggling financially, his mother was determined to give him a nice Christmas and the outpouring of support after we aired this story is incredible.

“We’ve collected $2,300 that we’d like to present to you, also some gift cards to some local food stores,” said Brad Miller of the Chandler Fire Department.

The Chandler Fire Dept. teamed up with the National Association of Hispanic Firefighters. They presented toys and a check to Jesus’ family. Everything was donated.

“It’s amazing because we’re poor today as a whole and to see all this stuff come together is amazing,” said NAHF’s Rodney Castro.

And Garcia’s neighbors were also a part of the festivities. With so many donations, the neighborhood children also received special gifts.

Bus despite the holiday cheer, Jesus’ mother admits there may be obstacles on his road to recovery.

“Right now, I have to take him to the hospital, they might admit him today because his blood is too high,” said Raquel.

But she’s grateful for these moments with him. Grateful to everyone who made this all possible.

“But I have faith everything came out okay. I know everything’s going to come out good,” she said.

And the donations continue to come in. As of Saturday afternoon, another $700 was donated.

We’ll continue to follow Jesus’ story and keep you posted.

Follow This Story:

• Outpouring of Support for Pint-Size Transplant Patient
• 2-Year-Old's Heart Transplant a Success