Nicole was born on June 9, 2005 at Yuma Regional Medical Center. She was sent home from the hospital five days later. During her routine newborn follow up she was diagnosed with Shone’s Complex, a diagnosis that involves four or more heart defects. She had coarctation of the aorta, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, ASD’s, VSD’s and mitral valve regurgitation. Nicole was emergently flown out of YRMC to University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ, where she had her first surgery to repair the coarctation of the aorta at just ten days old. She was in the NICU for six weeks following this surgery. Her second surgery and open heart surgery was done at six months old to repair her mitral valve. In the years following Nicole endured six more open heart surgeries in Tucson, AZ and in Boston, MA. Nicole practiced ballet until she physically couldn’t anymore. On September 12, 2016 she received a heart transplant at age 11 at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, which has allowed her to live a normal life. She started playing volleyball, soccer and was a cheerleader her freshman and sophomore years in high school. Nicole has been playing golf since she was five years old and continues to play now in high school and is involved in FFA and student council. Nicole enjoys weight training, going to the sand dunes and lives an active life. She has to take medication for the rest of her life to keep her from rejecting her heart. Nicole is finishing her senior year in high school and plans to attend the University of Arizona to study Agriculture this coming Fall. We are forever grateful to the donor and their family for the gift of life that was given to Nicole. God is good!!