The inaugural Beats for Life Foundation Heart Walk was on Saturday at Bloomer Sullivan Arena to make strides on heart health, congenital heart defect (CHD) and organ donor awareness.
Ten-year-old Blair Dawn Sullivan, the daughter of Jordan and Angie Sullivan, was born with a congenital heart defect. Later, she was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Her only chance for survival was a heart transplant which she received.
Mr. Sullivan thanked everyone for participating in the heart walk.
“My wife Angie had this vision for Beats for Life Foundation all the way back in 2018,” Mr. Sullivan said. “Now, here we are having our first event. Our inspiration for this foundation is our daughter Blair.”
Mrs. Sullivan said Blair was born on Sept. 2, 2015.
“When I was 20 weeks pregnant, her ultrasound revealed hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which affects the left side of the heart,” Mrs. Sullivan said. “Blair had her first open heart surgery at eight days old, and it revealed pulmonary stenosis on the right side of the heart. Blair’s only option for survival was a heart transplant.
“After five and a half months, the call came that they had accepted a heart for her. That day was Valentine’s Day, which is also National Donor Day, and she received her heart transplant the next morning.”
Blair was released from a Dallas hospital after 188 days, and after receiving the heart, the parents were finally able to bring her home to Durant.
“During all of those days, the Durant community was nothing but supportive,” Mrs. Sullivan said. “From fundraisers, prayers, support, gifts, food, and so much more, this community we live in is amazing. Today, Blair is a happy and healthy 10-year-old. She’s in the fourth grade and loves school, basketball, face timing, salsa, Dr. Pepper and Disney World. Blair Sullivan is our 2026 Heart Hero.”
Mrs. Sullivan said the Beats for Life Foundation was created because the family felt the need to give back to the community, the CHD community and the organ donation community.
“Our goals include promoting CHD awareness, organ donation awareness and heart health,” she said.
Mr. Sullivan said, “My wife had this vision and it kind of came to us after Blair led the Oklahoma City Heart Walk last May. So, we’re just excited to bring something like this to our community and hopefully, grow it each year.
Blair not only walked, she also got out of breath from running and said, “Yeah. Me, my sister and my friend (walked and ran).”
Mr. Sullivan said, “She likes to split between walk, run and get carried.”
The Sullivans look forward to having the walk every year and about 150 signed up this year.
“February is heart month and so our goal for next year is to raise funds throughout February and have a lot of community partners that do that as well and then we’ll have our heart walk at the end of February,” Mrs. Sullivan said.
Blair is doing really well, Mrs. Sullivan said.
“We just had her last transplant checkup a few weeks ago, and everything looks good from a transplant standpoint,” Mrs. Sullivan said. “She is behind developmentally a little bit but catching up every day.”
Dr. Monica McClaren was among the approximately 150 walkers.
“Angie’s a friend and organ donation is very important, and I think a lot of people don’t think about it,” McClaren said. “We put it on our driver’s license but then it is kind of an afterthought after that. Especially with what happened in our community recently with that teacher that passed.”
Courtney Leigh Grover died on Feb. 10 after a lifelong challenge with diabetes and her organs were donated.
Krista Bowles, is the hospital liaison for LifeShare Oklahoma for AllianceHealth Durant. She said LifeShare is responsible for the organ, eye and tissue recovery for the state of Oklahoma for those in need of lifesaving transplants. Currently, there are more than 100,000 men, women and children in need of a lifesaving transplant. Of those, about 800 reside in Oklahoma.
“Unfortunately, on average, 17 of those people die every day and never make it to transplant,” Bowles said. “They make it onto the list, but they don’t find their match in time. So, the fact that Blair found her match in time is an absolute miracle, and to compound that even further, every eight minutes a new name is being added to that list.
“One way that we help those that are on the list is by people registering their decision to be an organ donor. So, that’s what I’m here for today is just to bring awareness to becoming a registered donor, and how to do that and so I just very much appreciate the opportunity and the invitation to be here. Celebrate Blair’s 10-year anniversary of her transplant and just bring that awareness for organ donation.”
Mrs. Sullivan said Southeastern was a great partner for the event, and the Choctaw Nation was a sponsor.
“Without them, we couldn’t have put the event on,” she said.
