- Sienna Barton and her family returned home on Friday after Sienna spent 975 days in the hospital.
- A Saratoga Springs community that has been supporting the family were there to welcome them home.
- Sienna's family expressed gratitude for the support; they plan to catch up on their family time in between the regular doctor visits.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — After nearly three years in the hospital, one community decided to surprise a 5-year-old and her family.
The Bartons' Saratoga Springs neighborhood has supported them from the beginning. From prayers and rides to the hospital, to raising more than $3,000 to send the Bartons' daughter to Texas for a donor heart — now they wanted to give her a grand welcome home.
Shalise Swenson, who helped plan the surprise, gathered pink and purple to line the streets for the Bartons' daughter, Sienna, who loves Taylor Swift and Disney.
"She is spice and big heart," Swenson said.
A big heart that's been through a lot. Sienna was born with half a heart. She had surgery at 6 days old, 6 months old and was supposed to go in again at 3 years old.
"It's a very discouraging process," said Francesca Barton, Sienna's mom.
In January 2023, Sienna went into heart failure and was hooked up to a mechanical heart while she waited for a new one.
"Twenty-eight months later, we were still there waiting," Barton said.
That's when the Bartons found a hospital in Texas that would have a greater chance of finding a donor with the right heart size for Sienna.
They flew to Texas in May 2025, and Sienna had a donor by June.
"Our daughter is only alive today because of another family choosing donation," said Fano Barton, Sienna's dad.
Sienna needed to stay at least 90 days following her heart transplant. And on day 975 of the family's journey, Sienna returned home to Saratoga Springs.
"She was 2 years old when she went into the hospital, now, she's 5," Fano said.
Sienna waved her hands and threw out candy to neighbors as their car paraded through the streets Friday.
"Our community has been behind us these past three years," Barton said. "We're just so grateful to them."
After all this time, Sienna's big heart, still beats.
"Our hearts are so full," Barton said.
There's a lot of healing and learning left for Sienna.
The Bartons will go to Texas every six weeks for checkup appointments. The family said Sienna has physical therapy, feeding therapy, and on top of that, they just want to catch up on being all together as a family after nearly three years of living in different places.
