Nick and Nate Draper, the identical twin babies who came to UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital 11 months ago for heart transplants, have been cleared by doctors to return home to Arizona.

"After almost a year away, we can't believe that we finally get to go home," said an elated Nicole Draper, the twins' mother. "I'm not sure that it will feel real for awhile."

"Both boys are at the point where their care can be handled by the pediatric experts in Phoenix," said Dr. Juan Alejos, medical director of the pediatric heart transplant program at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital. "We are happy for the twins and the family, and we know that they will continue to thrive at home."

While both twins were awaiting heart transplants, only Nick is going home with a new heart that he received Feb. 16.

Nate is going home with his own heart. In what doctors called "close to a miracle," Nate's heart started showing signs of improvement, and he was removed from the active heart transplant list in May.

Questions still remain about the cause of Nate's potential blindness and whether it is a long-term prognosis, or if he will recover. Tests were performed in May to determine his ability to respond to visual stimulation, and the results indicated he may be blind. Doctors indicate that a bleed in his brain at birth possibly may have affected the brain's ability to see.

"From a cardiovascular standpoint, they are both are doing very well," added Dr. Mark Plunkett, surgical director of the pediatric heart transplant program at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital. "It has been a pleasure getting to know the family and we wish them our best."


Nick and Nate will need constant monitoring in Phoenix to watch their heart functions, as well as feeding issues. They also will need to continue with physical and occupational rehabilitation to work on developmental milestones.

The boys were born July 11, 2005, in Phoenix with a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscles are not strong enough to pump efficiently. The condition is very rare in newborns and extremely unusual in twin infants.

They were transferred to UCLA a few days after birth for evaluation and soon placed on the heart-transplant list. Nick received a new heart first because his name was added to the waiting list sooner. Medical complications prevented Nate from being listed until a few weeks later.

Nick's heart was donated by the York family of Florida, who lost their 4-month-old son in an accident. The Drapers and Yorks met each other in Los Angeles in March and remain in touch.

By sharing their story, the Drapers hope to heighten public awareness of the critical need for organ donors. Due to the small pool of infant donors, finding a donor heart for an infant can be especially challenging. More than 89,000 Americans await an organ donation, with 3,100 Americans on the waiting list for a new heart.

For more information on the Drapers, visit http://www.nickandnate.org/.

Californians interested in becoming organ donors may register online at http://www.donatelifecalifornia.org/ or at the Spanish-language site, http://www.donevidacalifornia.org/.

One of the largest heart-transplant programs in the world, UCLA's adult and pediatric heart-transplant program has performed nearly 1,500 heart transplants since its inception in 1984.

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