Most kids don’t grow up looking forward to a major operation. Liana Hart did.

Liana dreamed of living without excruciating spinal pain. She couldn’t wait for her doctor to finally give her the news she was old enough for surgery to fix her scoliosis.

She also hoped it would ease her worsening struggles to breathe. Liana lives with congenital myasthenia, a condition that has cut her lung capacity in half.

Her mom, Olivia, remembers the heartbreak of watching her daughter miss out on years of teenage freedom. “Liana was spending more time on a ventilator in high school than out having fun with friends,” she says.

Then Liana’s surgeon delivered devastating news: spinal surgery wasn’t possible. Her curved spine was pressing too dangerously on her damaged lungs.

So Olivia took her to see another surgeon. And another.

It would be too complicated, they all said. Too risky. Never been done.

After five long years of assessments and rejections, the Harts were losing hope. Thankfully, the final specialist referred the Harts to Dr. Stephen Lewis at UHN.

Dr. Lewis confidently explained his plan for Liana’s surgery. His team performed a successful spinal fusion, at last relieving her debilitating pain and breathlessness.

Dr. Lewis kept close watch over Liana’s recovery in the Intensive Care Unit. After ten days, she was strong enough to go home and continue healing with support from TeamUHN.

After years spent on the sidelines, Liana is embracing life in ways that were impossible before surgery. She’s enjoying long walks, spending time with friends and even pursuing a master’s degree.

The Hart family is forever grateful that UHN did what no other hospital in Canada could.

That’s the life-changing impact of donor support.