Oklahoma Boy Waiting For Second Heart Transplant

An Oklahoma family from Lexington hopes to return to the Sooner state after their son receives his second heart transplant.

Jhett Skaggs, 10, needed a heart transplant at 10 months old.

“He developed transplant coronary artery disease when he was five,” said Jhett’s mom Audra Skaggs.

For the past five years, the Skaggs have lived in Houston.

“He can't leave the area, he has to be within one hour of Texas Children's,” said Audra who is still an elementary school teacher in Lexington, Oklahoma.

During the school years, she visits Houston once a month. The family of four will be together in Houston until this fall, when school starts back up again for mom.

“I want to come back to Oklahoma a lot, but I can’t,” said Jhett.

Now the entire country is hearing Jhett's story thanks to the Professional Golf Association tour.

One commercial that started airing in the past year, shows the fundraiser the tour helped put on for the 10-year-old whose medical bills are in the millions of dollars. But it was nothing compared to Jhett meeting his idol: former OSU golfer turned professional Rickie Fowler.

“It means a lot because it’s someone you look up to, it was very neat,” said Jhett.

The former Cowboy golfer has worn a bracelet with Jhett's name on tour and had a set a clubs custom built for the young lefty. For Jhett, the game of golf provides a needed distraction.

“You can be outside and you can be with your friends,” said Jhett.

For his family, its provide the chance to share about the importance of organ donation.

“If we would have had more donors, we wouldn’t be waiting five years for a heart,” said Jhett’s dad, Brian Skaggs.

If you’d like to donate to the Skaggs family, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help with expenses.