Heartwarming homecoming: Waukee girl celebrates recovery and return to school after heart transplant

By KCCI Staff

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    WAUKEE, Iowa (KCCI) — After being away from school for almost two years due to serious health challenges, 13-year-old Ava Weitl from Waukee received a warm and joyful homecoming last week.

Teachers at Eason Elementary School dressed in pink and lined the hallways to surprise Ava with a “clap-out,” a special tradition usually reserved for fifth graders at the end of the year. Ava had missed hers when health issues, including heart and kidney transplants, cut short her time at school in fifth grade. Now she’s back and preparing for seventh grade.

Ava’s mother, Christina DeShaw, shared how their journey began when Ava went into heart failure in September 2023, leading to an indefinite stay at the Mayo Clinic. Ava received her life-saving heart transplant in February 2024, thanks to the generosity of a donor family. However, more complications arose, and Ava lost her kidneys while her lungs were being treated. She began dialysis in April 2024 and received a kidney transplant in January 2025, after her uncle donated in a paired exchange to facilitate her transplant.

Despite nearly 500 days in the hospital, Ava stayed strong and kept up with her studies with the help of her dedicated teachers. Her fourth- and fifth-grade teachers, Mandi Esser and Josh Schoon, went above and beyond, treating Ava like family by spending long hours at the hospital with her and making frequent visits to lift her spirits. Ava also stayed connected to her classmates via video calls, showing her determination to remain part of the school community.

Her long-awaited return was celebrated with a gathering at a local park, surrounded by friends, classmates and the school band cheering, “Welcome home, Ava!” Esser summed up the community’s love by saying, “Together we make a family,” a sentiment deeply embraced at the school.

Though her recovery journey continues with medications and doctor visits, Ava’s family believes being home is the best path to healing. Christina expressed her optimism, saying, “Being home is the best medicine. Being surrounded by her community and doing normal 13-year-old things—it’s going to do her so much good.”

With her incredible determination and support system, Ava is ready to start seventh grade and continue moving forward.

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