Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Six-year-old Teagan Dash Pettit is nearing 200 days of waiting on the heart transplant list, but his spirits are still high.
A charming moment from life in the hospital was recently captured on video. While Teagan was an inpatient at Primary Children’s Hospital, he would watch “Dancing with the Stars” with his grandmother when she stayed with him every Monday. One night, they decided to choreograph a dance of their own.
“I thought it was just going to be silly, but it was really well done,” said his mother Brytten Pettit. “They showed a bunch of the nurses and doctors. People gave them scores — one nurses made those little number cards and she held up a 10 for them and everything and it was really cute.”
“Dancing with the Stars” is Teagan’s grandmother’s favorite show, but it became a favorite of his as well after Derek and Julianne Hough stopped by Primary Children’s Hospital and performed for a small group of inpatient children in the music room. After he finished dancing, Derek Hough took a picture with Teagan and posted it to his Instagram.
Teagan was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and underwent three open heart surgeries before suffering severe complications and developing plastic bronchitis. Pettit said a heart transplant is the only option left to help save his life. His is currently designated as a 1A, which is the transplant list's most urgent status.
After 100 days straight in the hospital, Pettit said the family decided to bring Teagan home. They treat the house like a hospital and don’t bring him to public places where he could pick up germs.
“We have to be really careful and keep him healthy because they could call anytime,” she said. “He’s hanging in there. He’s got his energy up and the treatments help him. He’s just happy to be home, but he’s constantly connected… to lifesaving drugs 24/7.”
Pettit encouraged families to consider organ donation.
“It’s a selfless gift,” she said. “We just pray everyday for people to say ‘yes.’ It’s going to be their hardest day and we’re asking for them to give something very selfless, but it's a way for their loved one to live on and let another kid live their life. It’s a precious gift.”
