FLORENCE — It’s getting harder for people reconcile the phrase “transplant recipient” with Joseph Greenwood these days.
The month of May has seen him on the baseball field, taking part in the great American pastime like other children in his age group through the Florence Family YMCA.
In June, he will have completed second grade at Carver Elementary School and begin getting ready to delve into the complicated world of third-grade multiplication tables.
His mom, Angela Greenwood, said it’s a miracle to think just two years ago he very nearly died.
“He’s doing wonderful,” she said. “We just celebrated on April 13, his two-year heart transplant-iversary.”
Just a few short years ago, Joseph was under the care of many doctors for dilated cardiomyopathy, a rare weakening of the heart muscles. His condition, which led to the successful heart transplant, all started with a high fever.
“He was in 4K, and he got a fever that lasted nine days,” Angela said. “He had just turned 5 when he got sick.”
She said the next few months were a flurry of doctors visits as Joseph began having unexplained fainting spells.
“He went downhill really fast,” she said. “But he came back up really fast, too.”
Angela said after the fainting spells started Joseph was flown to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where he was the first child in South Carolina to receive the Berlin Heart Pump, an artificial heart designed to allow more time to find a human heart donor.
She said without it, Joseph might not be here today.
“I really didn’t know then that we’d ever see a normal day again,” she said. “I was just hoping to speak with him one more time. I didn’t know he could overcome all of that and lead a normal life.”
She said the journey was a tough one, but they all made it through intact.
The family recently took a trip to Disney world, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation granting Joseph’s request.
He said since he got his new heart, he can finally have fun again.
“It’s good,” Joseph said. “I couldn’t do fun things while I was in the hospital. I could hardly walk.”
He said his favorite things to do now are playing baseball for the Florence Family YMCA and taking tae kwon do classes at The Byrnes Schools where his skill level was recently raised.
“I got a yellow belt in tae kwon do,” he said.
Angela said she is using the experience to bring hope to other families who might be struggling with similar situations in the Pee Dee through a support group of which she is a member.
“Palmetto Hearts is a support group for children with congenital heart disease or defects,” she said. “It’s nice to had somebody else you can talk to about certain things and they’ve been there.”
On the Web
Palmetto Hearts Support Group, www.palmettohearts.org
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