She's only 15 years old, but D'Zhana Simmons feels lucky to be alive

"Basically, I was a miracle child," she said.

"Don't nobody on the face of this earth have a reason to worry that there's not a God up above that takes care of you," said Twolla Anderson, D'Zhana's mom.

Last summer, D'Zhana was diagnosed with cardio-myopathy, a dangerously enlarged heart.

"Her heart failure was so severe that she had no other choice but a heart transplant," said Marco Ricci, M.D. Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon at the University of Miami Holtz Children's Hospital.

She got that transplant after only a week on the waiting list, but the heart failed. While she waited for a second heart, Doctor Marco Ricci and his team at Holtz Hospital kept her alive with a heart assist machine.

"Normally, the machine is connected to the heart. In her case, the heart was removed so the machine had to be connected to the blood vessels."

D'Zhana walked the halls of the hospital with no heart as the machine pumped life through her body.

"It had never been done in a pediatric patient."

D'Zhana lived without a heart for 118 days until a second one became available.

"Very thankful."

The second transplant was a success and D'Zhana's family can finally look toward the future without fear.

"I think she'll be able to accomplish anything she set her mind to."

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Omar MontejoUniversity of Miami Office of Communication(305) 243-5654omontejo@miami.edu