Marshall and Myla: How two kids waiting for hearts found friendship in Chicago

CHICAGO - Lurie Children's Hospital is hosting a special radiothon this Thursday, and FOX 32 Chicago is proud to be a sponsor and partner.

We wanted to share with you just a small part of how the proceeds will make a big impact on the lives of sick children and their families. Sylvia Perez takes us inside the children's hospital to introduce us to two friends who came together because they both needed a heart transplant.

Meet Marshall and Myla. Their story is about friendship, hardship, and survival — all made possible because Myla and Marshall were both patients at Lurie Children's Hospital.

Despite the age difference, they became close friends—or, as they say, BFFs.

Myla was 11 when they met, and Marshall was 6. It was their hearts that brought them together—or rather, the fact that they both needed a new one.

"We met in the hospital, and at first, our rooms were next to each other. We started talking, and we became friends," said Myla.

"One of the reasons we also became BFFs is because on her birthday, I made a card, and the card said, ‘Would you be my BFF?’" Marshall added.

Myla and Marshall had something else in common: they were both born with heart conditions that kept them in and out of the hospital until a transplant was the only option. So, they waited in the hospital for months, together, inseparable, enjoying each other's company every single day.

"We really had no friends except me and her, and so we went everywhere together," Marshall said.

They first met in April when Myla was admitted to Lurie. Then, in July, three months later, Myla received the news that she would be getting her new heart.

It's a day Myla’s mother, Heather, will never forget.

"There's a weird feeling of sadness and happiness at the same time. You are joyful for yourself and sadness and remorse for the loss of another family," Heather said.

Marshall found out about the good news a short time later.

"Yeah, I was happy for her and kind of sad… because I didn't get one," Marshall said.

"I was kind of sad to leave Marshall, but I also really wanted to go get a heart so I could go home and see my dog," Myla added.

Marshall still waits. His doctors are optimistic his time will come.

"I am not just hopeful, but I’m pretty confident that he will get his heart. It’s just a matter of time. And the good news is he is in such good shape for a transplant. He does all the things he needs to do to be a really good transplant candidate while he waits," said Dr. Phillip Thrush.

But until that new heart comes, Marshall continues to get the love and attention he needs at Lurie and looks forward to Myla's once-a-month checkups when he can be reunited with his BFF. He sees how well Myla is doing and is looking forward to what a new heart will mean for him.

"After I get my heart, I’m going to have super speed. They’re going to take my DNA, and I’m going to have super speed," Marshall said.

In the meantime, Myla and Marshall still have that bond. Their parents became close as well, connected by their children’s heart conditions and grateful to have not only another family to lean on but also the help of a loving staff at Lurie that they say will remain family forever.

"Myla's condition was deteriorating, and she's alive because of Lurie’s. I owe my daughter’s life to it," said Jeff, Myla’s father.