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Donations Pouring In To Help Little Girl Waiting To Get A Heart Transplant

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- In North America, about 100 times a year, a heart is transplanted into a child four and younger.

Now, as Mike Schuh reports, a little girl from Baltimore is waiting for her chance.

What a way to begin life--one open chest surgery, two open heart surgeries and more procedures than the parents of 4-year-old Madison can remember.

While Maddy hasn't been dealt life's greatest hand, her family hopes better luck is near.

"Her heart function is a little worse than they thought and she needs to get this process started," her mom, Dana Parrott, said.

Maddy could catch a break--and get a new heart--but there are complications keeping her off the transplant list. So Hopkins will be her home until she's strong enough to get on the list.

It's tricky, though. Her defective heart may not last.

"It's hard to say. They can't really guess or judge how long she can go with her current heart," Parrott said.

With two good jobs and great insurance, Marvin and Dana Parrott say they are blessed. But like so many families with seriously ill children in a hospital, there's a dilemma--being there with the child is better for the child, but there is pressure to go to work.

"If we're here, we can focus on Madison and not have to worry about 'I have to leave her because I have to go to work,'" said Parrott.

So, Dana decided to go on unpaid family medical leave. Now the bills are piling up.

This week, friends started a GoFundMe website. A lot of little donations are pouring in to help the family make up for lost income.

"And it's been incredible. It's been amazing," Parrott said.

Incredible, but nothing, they say, like what it will be if Maddy gets a heart.

To help Maddy's family, click here.

If she gets a heart, there's a 90 percent chance of survival for at least a year.

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