Organ donor with a heart of gold.

By KATIE SCHNEIDER, SUN MEDIA

CALGARY -- Lucas LaBerge is now a healthy seven-month-old thanks to an organ donor with a heart of gold.

The Calgary baby was born Dec. 4, with a rare heart condition called ebstein anomaly, an abnormality of a tricuspid valve -- leaving his heart swollen and the tot blue in colour because of poor blood circulation.

Lucas had to be flown to the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, said his mom, Aprile.

"It was completely devastating," she said. "It's been a pretty tough road."

Lucas was discharged soon after treatment and he and his family returned to Calgary.

But four months later, in May, he caught a cold and went into cardiac arrest at the Alberta Children's hospital.

He was flown back to Edmonton where doctors performed a surgery to repair his valve, but it was unsuccessful, and the little one couldn't come off heart bypass.

"At that point, it was life or death," Aprile said.

Then days later, an infant heart became available and Lucas underwent a transplant surgery May 21.

"I was scared but so overwhelmed by everything. I know it saved his life," Aprile said.

"It was a miracle we got it that quickly."

Pediatric transplant cardiologist Dr. Yashu Coe said it was fortunate a heart became available so quickly and that blood types do not have to be matched for infant transplants as they do for adults and older children.

Coe said Lucas's story demonstrates the importance of organ donations.

"Without that, he wouldn't be around today," he said.

He said even though it's not easy to donate a deceased loved one's organs, especially when in mourning, that loss of a life could give life to another.

"By being a donor, you end up helping eight to 10 to 12 people -- one heart to help one person, two lungs to go to two people," he said.

Aprile is also spreading the message of the "profound effect" organ donations can have on someone's life.

"(Lucas) is doing phenomenally -- he looks amazing and is doing great," she said.

"I can't thank the donor family enough."

Aprile and her husband Aaron are staying in Edmonton while Lucas undergoes more tests and the family hopes to return to Calgary at the end of August