Heart Transplant Recipient Ready To Give Birth

The birth of a child is a special time for any family, but this moment will be especially 'heartwarming' considering what this family has already been through.

Windi Quinby is excited and nervous as she awaits the birth of her son.She is nervous because she believes her pregnancy is a miracle.

Four years ago, at age 28, Quinby had a heart transplant. She already had a daughter, but her doctors told her she should not get pregnant again. When she became pregnant unexpectantly, her doctors thought she would miscarry.

"One month, two months, three months went on and we knew this baby was determined to be," she said.

Quinby also worried that the medication she takes would hurt her baby.

Ultrasounds show everything is OK, but her doctors warn there are still risks. After delivery, Quinby's body could reject her new heart.

Despite the risks, Quinby is focusing on the miracle of what has happened. She remains in contact with the family of the 17-year-old whose heart she received.

"I asked if we could name the baby after their son, Christopher. They were, of course, full of tears," Quinby said.

It has also been an emotional time for Quinby's family. Her older brother died 13 years ago after a liver transplant. Her mother had a heart transplant last year.

"Three transplants in one family. We have definitely climbed our mountains," Quinby said.

"Truly, what you see now in our family is the circle of life -- this new baby, this incredible new baby that we never thought would be ours," said Kay Braxton, Windi's mother.

With all the prayers that have already been answered, Quinby knows these will be, too.

"I know that he's going to make everything OK," she said.

The National Transplant Pregnancy Registry lists 31 women known to have gotten pregnant after a heart transplant. Of those, 70 percent had normal births. Doctors said the biggest problems for those women seem to be high blood pressure and premature birth.