KALISPELL — Katelyn Baughman, a Flathead High School senior, is celebrating two major milestones: graduating high school and receiving a new heart.
Earlier this year, Baughman and her family learned her heart was functioning at just 20 percent due to Danon disease. She spent months in the hospital before receiving a life-saving message.
"We got the news that she received a new heart," Debbie Holmquist, Katelyn's mother, said.
But the relief was bittersweet, as Katelyn's new lease on life came through another family's loss.
"We were very excited of course, the other side of it was just grief for the loss for the other family," Holmquist said.
The surgery was a success, but Katelyn's road to recovery is long.
"Now she has about seven appointments a week and she'll need to be here for 8-12 months following the heart transplant because she doesn't have an immune system," Holmquist said.
Katelyn received her new heart just weeks before high school graduation. Her doctor said she could not attend in person, so the family found another way to make the day special.
"The Ronald McDonald House has been really helpful and let us use their theater room to watch. It was a different experience than obviously what we had expected, it was emotional," Holmquist said.
The medical bills and costs of being far from home have added up, but the Flathead Valley community has rallied around the family, raising more than $22,000 through a GoFundMe campaign.
"Theres just so much kindness out there and it's just been incredible to see the support in our community. It's not just the fundraisers, it's those who've reached out, sent cards, or just sent us a prayer or thought," Holmquist said.
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