COLUMBUS, Ohio — This Mother's Day, two moms continue to stay optimistic as they wait for a phone call that could change their lives.
Eva Havens and Michelle Evans both have sons on a heart transplant list. The boys have been on the list for five months.
It has been quite the journey of highs and lows, but the community support has made all the difference. And today, both women are feeling grateful.
Havens' 8-month-old son Raleigh was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy at 11 weeks old.
"There are days when walking into the hospital feels really hard, feels really heavy," Havens said.
In the same unit at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is Evans' 1-year-old son, Shaun. Shaun and Raleigh use a Berlin Heart now, a device that mechanically supports the heart.
"It is rough because, of course, it's Mother's Day and we want to go outside with the boys," Evans said.
For both moms, each day presents its challenges, days can feel lonely and the wait can feel long, but their spirits are high and the love for their sons is immeasurable.
"We try to make it as normal as we can," Havens said. " I think both of us and our families do a really good job at that... we try to give them routine and normalcy."
The women said there's a sense of community within the hospital where struggles are shared and understood.
"We both came out of our shell and we both opened up the doors for each other because we are both experiencing this together," Havens said. "We're just so grateful for every day we have with Raleigh and Shaun and all these kiddos up here."
Evans said she loves the whole unit.
"They love our boys," Evans said.
The moms said the boys are otherwise healthy and reaching milestones, growing and giggling. They plan to spend their Mother's Day with their sons as they do each day.