NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Henry Smith, a 10-month-old child that inspired thousands of donations to the Children's Organ Transplant Association, passed away peacefully Thursday afternoon at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Though his short life is now over, his legacy will live on in other children. Henry's parents, Taylor and Aubrey Smith, decided to donate some of his organs so that other families waiting on that transplant call could get the hope they were waiting for.
NewsChannel 5 first profiled Henry when he was waiting for a heart transplant. Since the moment he was born, he lived every moment at Vanderbilt due to a congenital heart defect involving his left ventricle and his aortic arch being too small to work properly.
After three heart surgeries, Henry was making progress until doctors realized they just couldn't properly fix his valve, so he officially went on the heart transplant list.
His parents Taylor and Aubrey Smith told us his medical team became apart of their extended family.
"I call all of his doctors and nurses and everyone his hospital aunts and uncles," said his father Taylor in an interview back in January. "It’s weird what a 10-month hospital stay will do to shift your perspective."
After our original story aired, Middle Tennesseans donated more than $70,000 in honor of Henry to the Children's Organ Transplant Association.
Henry's maternal grandmother, Cyndi Routledge, provided a statement in loving memory of Henry:
"It’s with heartbreaking sadness that I tell you that our little brave wild-haired grandson Henry died peacefully today, 2/16/23 at 12:32 pm in the loving arms of his parents, Aubrey and Taylor. Henry spent his entire 325 days in the care of dedicated nurses and doctors at Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. We cannot begin to thank them for their care, their love and the dedication they showed Henry, Aubrey and Taylor during these long 10 months," writes Routledge. "Henry was a fighter with a stubborn determination to do it his way on his timeline. He touched many lives during his short time on Earth, probably more than we will ever know. We hang tight to those thoughts as we said goodbye today. His parents chose to donate his kidneys and liver so other children might live. This will be his legacy.”
Originally, there was a benefit walk planned for Henry — Saturday February 25th. That walk will now be his Celebration of Life. The ceremony is open to the public at Charlie Daniels Park at Mt. Juliet beginning at 10 am. More details will be released early next week.
