Local Six-Year-Old Still Waiting for a New Heart

After three open heart surgeries and a heart failure, six-year-old Kyleigh Ward is in need of a heart transplant. You can donate to help the family during this time.

Kyleigh Ward has spent a lot of her life in and out of hospitals, battling heart failure.
At just six years old, she’s had three open heart surgeries.
Now she’s waiting on a new heart.

“In April, we went up and they told me that Kyleigh needed a transplant really bad. She was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and with that the pressures in her heart were really high and that’s the reason why she needs a transplant really bad,” says Kyleigh’s mom, Briancca Ward.

In August, Kyleigh and Briancca, left Gulfport and made their way to Texas Children’s Hospital, where they have been ever since.
While they wait for Kyleigh’s new heart, Briancca is separated from her one-year-old daughter, Kamree, who is at home in South Mississippi, with Briancca’s mom.
But on Thanksgiving the whole family was reunited.

“I hadn’t seen Kamree in three months so it was my first time seeing her. I was so excited to see her that I was crying. They have precautions and stuff like that, with who can come in the hospital, due to COVID. We asked the nurses if it was possible if Kamree could see Kyleigh at least one time, because she hadn’t seen her sister in months and they allowed it. It felt really good. It felt good to have both of them in the same place. It’s hard trying to parent there and parent here.”

But Kyleigh thinks her mom is doing a pretty great job.

“I thank my mom for being the best mom ever,” says Kyleigh.

This isn’t the first year Kyleigh and her mom has spent Christmas in the hospital, but this year is a little different.  Kyleigh is asking Santa for something extra special.

“A new heart,” Kyleigh says excitedly.

This pair will continue to wait for that new heart until a perfect match is found.
Earlier this year, Kyleigh’s school, Crossroads Elementary threw her a surprise kindergarten graduation.
In a video that went viral, Kyleigh, who says she wants to be a nurse when she grows up, was overcome with emotion and now has a message for her family, friends and classmates back home.

“Just keep pushing. I miss y’all. I love everybody,” says Kyleigh.

On Saturday, Team Kyleigh supporters are hosting a toy drive at Advanced Auto Parts on Highway 49 in honor of the six-year-old.
If you are interested in donating to Kyleigh’s journey, you can do so on any of the platforms below:

CashApp: $Briancca

Venmo: @Briancca

Paypal: @2KBriancca

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/86262e13