Van's Journey to a Hero Heart
Sometimes, the strongest hearts come in the smallest people.
That was our first thought after spending time with two-year-old Van Morris this week at UVA Health.
Van is full of life. He loves to play, smile, and explore the world around him—just like any other toddler. But behind that joyful spirit is a journey marked by extraordinary courage.
Van was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare and complex congenital heart defect that has shaped nearly every day of his young life. By the age of two, he has already undergone two open-heart surgeries, countless medical procedures, and has spent more than 200 days in the hospital after an unexpected cardiac event earlier this winter.
Today, Van remains at UVA Health, where he is waiting for the gift that could change everything—a lifesaving heart transplant.
Because of the specialized care he requires, Van cannot leave the hospital until a donor heart becomes available. Every day is spent waiting, hoping, and trusting that the right heart will arrive at just the right time.
Meeting a Remarkable Little Boy
This week, we had the incredible privilege of visiting Van and his family.
We laughed together, played together, and witnessed firsthand the joy and resilience that have inspired so many throughout his journey. While no child should have to spend months in a hospital room, Van continues to light up every space he enters.
As part of our commitment to walking alongside transplant families, we were honored to support the Morris family through two of Healing Words' outreach programs.
Through our Meals of Hope program, we provided a $100 DoorDash gift card to help ease the burden of daily meals during their extended hospital stay.
Through our Second Chance Support Grant, we were also able to provide a $1,000 grant to assist with some of the financial challenges that come with living away from home while caring for a child awaiting a transplant.
While these gifts cannot remove the uncertainty of the road ahead, our hope is that they remind families like the Morrises that they are surrounded by a community that cares deeply for them.
Theodore's Next Journey
One moment from our visit is one we'll never forget.
Tim brought along a very special teddy bear named Theodore.
Years ago, Theodore began a journey of his own when Tim gave him to a friend walking through a difficult season of healing. Later, after Tim received his own lifesaving liver transplant, that same friend returned Theodore to him as a reminder of hope, healing, and God's faithfulness.
Since then, Theodore has become much more than a teddy bear.
He has become a symbol that healing journeys are never meant to be walked alone.
This week, Theodore found his next home.
As Tim placed Theodore into Van's arms, we couldn't help but think about all the stories this little bear has already witnessed—and all the hope he now carries into Van's hospital room.
Our prayer is simple: that every time Van looks at Theodore, he remembers that an entire community is praying for him, believing in him, and waiting alongside him for the day he receives his hero heart.
Waiting for a Miracle
One of the hardest parts of the transplant journey is the waiting.
Families don't know whether that life-changing phone call will come tomorrow, next week, or months from now.
For children like Van, the waiting happens inside hospital walls while life continues outside.
Yet through it all, Van's family continues to choose hope.
Hope for the donor family whose incredible gift will one day make a transplant possible.
Hope for the surgeons, nurses, physicians, and care teams who continue walking this journey beside them.
Hope that one day soon, Van will receive the heart he's been waiting for.
How You Can Help
Healing Words believes that no transplant family should walk this journey alone.
Today, we're inviting our community to come alongside Van and his family in three meaningful ways.
Pray. Please keep Van, his family, his medical team, and the future donor family in your prayers as they continue this journey.
Share. Every time Van's story is shared, more people become aware of the realities transplant families face. It also reminds the Morris family that they are surrounded by people who care.
You can continue following Van's journey here:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1707899580244875/?s=fb_shorts_profile&stack_idx=0
Give. If you feel led to support Van's family financially, you may:
Donate through Healing Words via Venmo: @HealingWordsPMF. Please include "Van Morris" in the payment note so your gift goes directly toward supporting his family.
OR
Donate directly to the Morris family's GoFundMe:
https://gofund.me/b42f1e97
Every gift, no matter the amount, helps ease the financial burden of this extended hospital stay and allows Van's family to remain focused on what matters most—his healing.
Our Promise to Van
At Healing Words, Faces of Hope is about more than sharing stories.
It's about building relationships, standing beside families through every season, and reminding them they are never alone.
Van's story is now part of our Healing Words family, and we'll continue sharing updates as we pray, hope, and wait for the miracle of his hero heart.
Van, we want you to know that an entire community is cheering for you.
We can't wait for the day we share the news that you've received your new heart.
Until then, we'll keep believing, keep praying, and keep walking this journey with you.
Shared with permission from the Morris family.