EP 114: A Heart for Hadlee: A Story of Hope, Healing, and a Grateful Heart with Jon and Felicia Rohman

Episode Summary

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jon and Felicia Rohman to share the remarkable journey of their daughter Hadlee, who underwent a life-saving heart transplant in 2020—right amid a global pandemic. What began as a terrifying health issue became a testimony of faith, resilience, and appreciation for the incredible gift of life. Years later, Hadlee is thriving, healthy, joyful, and full of gratitude. Join us as Andi Johnson interviews the Rohmans, who open up about their challenges, the community that rallied around them, and the beautiful, beating heart of their daughter’s second chance at life.

 

✨ Episode Highlights

• Andi Johnson welcomes Jon and Felicia Rohman, a husband-and-wife team and proud parents of four.
• The conversation centers around Hadlee, their third child, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
• Felicia recounts Hadlee’s birth in 2017 and the significant right-sided heart failure she experienced by late 2019, which made organ donation the only viable option.
• Jon discusses the mental and emotional preparation required as they faced the reality of a potential heart transplant.
• The couple acted quickly, getting Hadlee placed on the transplant list in January 2020. She received her new heart on May 28, 2020—coincidentally, their son’s birthday.
• Jon reflects on the emotional toll of the process, including a failed donation and navigating the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Felicia shares the complexity of maintaining infection control while managing the needs of their other children. During this time, Jon resigned from his job to be with Hadlee full-time at the hospital.
• Jon honors Felicia’s strength as she worked two jobs—80 hours a week—while homeschooling and caring for their children at home amid the pandemic.
• Today, Hadlee is flourishing with a new baby sister and enjoys activities such as swimming, soccer, and dancing.
• The Rohmans express deep gratitude to the donor family, highlighting the life-changing impact of the transplant.
• Felicia reflects on how their faith sustained them through hardship and the emotional conversations they had with their children.
• The couple emphasizes the vital importance of organ donation and the hope it brings to families in need.
• Jon encourages other families to lean into their communities and be open to receiving help.
• They also speak to the power of social media in spreading Hadlee’s story and building a network of support.
• The Rohmans express appreciation for organizations such as Donate Life and Network For Hope for amplifying their journey and giving them a platform to share.

📝 Key Takeaways

• The Rohmans candidly share their daughter Hadlee’s powerful story of survival through a heart transplant during the global pandemic.
• They reflect on their mental and emotional journey as parents navigating uncertainty, especially at the height of COVID-19.
• Their testimony highlights the sacrifices they made, their unwavering faith, and the critical support of their community, family, and social media network.

 

Tweetable Quotes:

 

1. “At the beginning of 2020, she started to have a pretty significant right-sided heart failure. So really, at that point, our only hope was organ donation and transplant.” - Felicia Rohman
2. “They said she was one of the quickest to be put on the transplant list — So January, 2020, and then she actually had her transplant, May 28 of 2020, which is ironically our son's birthday.” - Felicia Rohman
3. “I don't think I fully appreciated everything that she (Felicia) was doing while I was in the hospital with Hadlee. But with me having quit my job, she was working two jobs, 80 hours a week, with the other two kids at home, navigating COVID, and then having to do homeschooling, and everything else in that capacity.” - Jon Rohman
4. “There were a lot of tears on the way back home because they didn't understand the full magnitude of everything that was going on. But yeah, I think just supporting each other and just kind of trying to maintain some sense of normalcy through things with our faith, it is really kind of what got us through.” - Felicia Rohman
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