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Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Writer 6y

Jarren Jasper, son of Navy OC Ivin Jasper, gets new heart

College Football, Navy Midshipmen

Jarren Jasper, the 14-year-old son of Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper, received a long-awaited heart transplant late Monday night at Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., according to his mother, Donna Jasper.

"Heart is in and beating on its own!" Donna wrote in a text to ESPN, adding that the next 24 hours are critical, but the doctor was happy with the transplant.

Jarren, who was supposed to be a freshman quarterback at Broadneck High School in Annapolis, Maryland, this year, has been living with an LVAD (left ventricular assist device) pumping blood through his heart for months. On Oct. 5, he came home from a dire two-month stay in the hospital and has since been waiting for that life-changing call that a heart is waiting for him.

The Jaspers were shocked in August when Jarren failed a routine physical because of an abnormally fast heartbeat. There were complications during the procedure to correct it that left Jarren on life support for 11 straight days. He was hooked up to a breathing tube, sedated and partially paralyzed. Eventually, Jarren got strong enough to have the LVAD implanted on Aug. 15, but he was told he would need a new heart.

The Jasper family has remained close to home the whole time, waiting for what they've called "a miracle."

On Monday night, it finally came.

"Blessed and thankful the Lord sent us the miracle that we've been waiting for," Donna Jasper texted to ESPN. "Words can't begin to describe the level of happiness this brings to our family. Want to send a special thank you and also send out condolences to the donor family who made this miracle possible."

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