Teen Heart Transplant Recipient Leaves JMH

MIAMI (CBS4) - With tears in his eyes, Kelly Morales's father watched his daughter performing just a week after having a heart transplant. A day they feared would never come.

"I'm very happy and blessed," said Kelly Morales.

Kelly's mom, Nubia, died of the her same condition: cardiomyapathy, an enlarged heart. When Kelly was only one year old.

"I was afraid history was going to repeat itself and I would lose my daughter, and many nights I stood next to her and didn't think she would make it," said father Kervin Morales.

Last Monday Kelly who had trouble just breathing was set to have a pump put in her heart to buy more time while on the heart transplant list

"We had scheduled the next day to put in a device.. she could no longer wait for a donor," said Heart Surgeon Dr. Eliot Rosenkranz.

Her family turned to prayer.

"I was driving down the street.. I was praying and said 'Lord this is the 11th hour, we need a miracle' and that very next day we received word the donor came through," said Kervin Morales.

With her faith, family and music, she pulled through.

She said at one point during her four year struggle she almost passed to the other side, and her mom was there.

"My mom couldn't speak to me but she did smile and I saw God's hand and said you're not ready to go home," said Kelly.

She said she fought and was handed a miracle, a second chance at life.

"When you tell God your heart for real, he will listen," said Kelly.