11-year-old heart patient to be honored at WKU basketball game: meet Davis Lowe

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-Meet Davis Lowe. 

“He’s just a miracle. He inspires me every day to view life very positively and to make the most of every day,” said mom Shelley Lowe. 

Shelley and her husband adopted him when he was born. 

“My husband and I couldn’t have children biologically and that just seemed like the appropriate thing to do. There are so many kids that need loving homes and we felt like we could provide that,” said Lowe. 

He was born early, and stayed in the NICU for 19 days. 

“He had three different heart abnormalities but we didn’t know how severe they would become over time,” said Lowe. 

At four months old, they found he had left ventricular systolic dysfunction. 

He was one of the first U.S. recipients of the Berlin Heart, which is a mechanical heart that would keep him alive while waiting for a donor heart. 

“We preserve the Berlin Heart for those who are too sick and not responding to the traditional methods,” said Norton Children’s Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Dr. Balhaadin Alsoufi. 

While waiting for the transplant, he had a stroke which caused him to now have epilepsy and cerebral palsy. He also has autism spectrum disorder and is nonverbal. Despite his health challenges, he is the happiest boy!

“When we’re just having a normal day and we’re not sick, it’s a good day,” said Lowe. 

February is heart month and at the WKU basketball game on February 4th, he’ll be honored as the Norton Children’s superhero. 

“He loves it here. He loves the ball players, the pep band, the cheerleader, the dance team, the fight song, he loves everything about this place,” said Lowe.