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American Morning

Four-Month-Old Dillon Sellers Now Recovering From Heart Transplant

Aired March 14, 2003 - 07:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to one of the best stories of the day right now. So far, so good. Four-month-old Dillon Sellers now recovering from a heart transplant. I've been watching this story now for several weeks. Dillon is the son of Betsy Sellers and Marine Major Hal Sellers, now stationed in Kuwait.
When Sellers shipped out, little Dillon was in need of a donor heart to save his life. He was told he did not have much time. Dillon's mother Betsy back with us again from their home in 29 Palms, California this morning. And by way of video phone, Major Sellers joins us from the desert sands of Kuwait, as well.

Betsy, first to you. You talked yesterday about the concerns about a respiratory infection for your son Dillon.

How is he doing today and what are doctors telling you? BETSY SELLERS, DILLON'S MOTHER: I just called the hospital a little while ago to check on his night and things are going very well. They are still watching for infection. He is on some antibiotics. But there seems to be no concerns or no complications yet.

HEMMER: Yes, you talked yesterday also about his small, little toes becoming pink for the first time. When you saw that -- I see your face light up right now on the camera here -- when you first saw that, your thoughts about watching that in your young son? BETSY SELLERS: It was just absolutely amazing. It was wonderful to see it, to see him so warm and to see his heart beating so rhythmically and to see him not working to breathe so hard. It was just, it's a miracle.

HEMMER: Yes. We also know that you talked with your husband in Kuwait by way of telephone a couple times. Last time you spoke was when? And what was that conversation like, Betsy? BETSY SELLERS: I spoke with him yesterday at the hospital early in the morning just to tell him that -- I had the chance to tell him that I had seen Dillon and spent some time with him and that the recovery was going fairly well.

HEMMER: Yes, listen, we hope to make this connection in Kuwait. As you can well understand, with the winds blowing out there the way they have this week, we've lost our connection with your husband. We're trying right now to reestablish it. BETSY SELLERS: All right.

HEMMER: But as we do that, going forward right now, you mentioned infection as the most critical factor right now. What else are doctors telling you about the chances ultimately for recovery of your son? BETSY SELLERS: If these last 24 hours are any indication, his recovery is going to go fairly smoothly, we hope. He, of course, faces the possibility of rejection. So they will be monitoring him very closely and he's on anti-rejection medication and medicines to suppress his immune system so that his little body accepts his new heart.

HEMMER: Wow. Your husband said before he left that there was nothing he could do in terms of helping his son, it was a matter of time before a donor heart came through. Now that it has come through, has your husband talked to you at all about how he feels now about his decision? Does he have more relief about that? Or how did he describe it? BETSY SELLERS: Oh, he is very much relieved and I hope that this has given him some peace of mind to really be able to focus on what he needs to do over there. Dillon, you know, isn't out of the woods yet and could have some problems. But hopefully, you know, dad's feeling a lot better about all this.

HEMMER: Yes, and it's going to be a great day when that family gets back together and your family is reunited. BETSY SELLERS: Yes, it is.

HEMMER: By way of technical malfunctions here, we think we've worked this out right now.

Major Sellers now joins us by way of video phone in the desert sands of Kuwait.

And, sir, thanks for being patient with us here.

Your reaction now, if you could tell our viewers, when you heard that your son had received that transplant from half a world away. Tell us about what went through your mind and your conversation with your wife.

MAJ. HAL SELLERS, KUWAIT: Well, I was, I found out late yesterday morning here. I was very, incredibly relieved. I was able to get a hold of my wife at the hospital a little bit later and when I spoke to Betsy, Dillon was just coming up out of surgery and everything seemed to be going fine. I was able to call back a few hours later and it sounds like his recovery is going well. I know there's still a long way to go. There's plenty of things that can go wrong. But certainly it's a great relief to know he's got a heart and I'm just, I'm very thankful.

HEMMER: We were buying some time here, trying to get that signal reestablished in Kuwait. I asked your wife this question. Why don't you answer it.

Do you feel differently now, based on your decision to deploy with your unit in Kuwait, knowing that your son right now has that transplant?

MAJ. HAL SELLERS: Well, I think it gives me a lot more peace of mind. Obviously coming over here, I did not have the connectivity, wasn't able to go see him or call on him every day, as I had gotten used to over the time he was in the hospital. So knowing that he's finally got a heart, that he's got a fighting chance certainly leaves my mind much more at rest and I can kind of put, you know, put out in the back of my mind, but probably more clearly focus on what I need to do here.

So I'm just, I'm thankful he's got it and praying that his recovery goes well.

HEMMER: Thanks for being patient with us.

Major Hal Sellers by way of video phone in Kuwait and Betsy Sellers in 29 Palms, California.

Get some sleep this weekend, OK, Betsy? BETSY SELLERS: I'm going to try.

HEMMER: You've been up and at it.

OK, best of luck to you. BETSY SELLERS: Yes.

HEMMER: And thanks for being patient and hanging in there with us.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Transplant>


Aired March 14, 2003 - 07:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to one of the best stories of the day right now. So far, so good. Four-month-old Dillon Sellers now recovering from a heart transplant. I've been watching this story now for several weeks. Dillon is the son of Betsy Sellers and Marine Major Hal Sellers, now stationed in Kuwait.
When Sellers shipped out, little Dillon was in need of a donor heart to save his life. He was told he did not have much time. Dillon's mother Betsy back with us again from their home in 29 Palms, California this morning. And by way of video phone, Major Sellers joins us from the desert sands of Kuwait, as well.

Betsy, first to you. You talked yesterday about the concerns about a respiratory infection for your son Dillon.

How is he doing today and what are doctors telling you? BETSY SELLERS, DILLON'S MOTHER: I just called the hospital a little while ago to check on his night and things are going very well. They are still watching for infection. He is on some antibiotics. But there seems to be no concerns or no complications yet.

HEMMER: Yes, you talked yesterday also about his small, little toes becoming pink for the first time. When you saw that -- I see your face light up right now on the camera here -- when you first saw that, your thoughts about watching that in your young son? BETSY SELLERS: It was just absolutely amazing. It was wonderful to see it, to see him so warm and to see his heart beating so rhythmically and to see him not working to breathe so hard. It was just, it's a miracle.

HEMMER: Yes. We also know that you talked with your husband in Kuwait by way of telephone a couple times. Last time you spoke was when? And what was that conversation like, Betsy? BETSY SELLERS: I spoke with him yesterday at the hospital early in the morning just to tell him that -- I had the chance to tell him that I had seen Dillon and spent some time with him and that the recovery was going fairly well.

HEMMER: Yes, listen, we hope to make this connection in Kuwait. As you can well understand, with the winds blowing out there the way they have this week, we've lost our connection with your husband. We're trying right now to reestablish it. BETSY SELLERS: All right.

HEMMER: But as we do that, going forward right now, you mentioned infection as the most critical factor right now. What else are doctors telling you about the chances ultimately for recovery of your son? BETSY SELLERS: If these last 24 hours are any indication, his recovery is going to go fairly smoothly, we hope. He, of course, faces the possibility of rejection. So they will be monitoring him very closely and he's on anti-rejection medication and medicines to suppress his immune system so that his little body accepts his new heart.

HEMMER: Wow. Your husband said before he left that there was nothing he could do in terms of helping his son, it was a matter of time before a donor heart came through. Now that it has come through, has your husband talked to you at all about how he feels now about his decision? Does he have more relief about that? Or how did he describe it? BETSY SELLERS: Oh, he is very much relieved and I hope that this has given him some peace of mind to really be able to focus on what he needs to do over there. Dillon, you know, isn't out of the woods yet and could have some problems. But hopefully, you know, dad's feeling a lot better about all this.

HEMMER: Yes, and it's going to be a great day when that family gets back together and your family is reunited. BETSY SELLERS: Yes, it is.

HEMMER: By way of technical malfunctions here, we think we've worked this out right now.

Major Sellers now joins us by way of video phone in the desert sands of Kuwait.

And, sir, thanks for being patient with us here.

Your reaction now, if you could tell our viewers, when you heard that your son had received that transplant from half a world away. Tell us about what went through your mind and your conversation with your wife.

MAJ. HAL SELLERS, KUWAIT: Well, I was, I found out late yesterday morning here. I was very, incredibly relieved. I was able to get a hold of my wife at the hospital a little bit later and when I spoke to Betsy, Dillon was just coming up out of surgery and everything seemed to be going fine. I was able to call back a few hours later and it sounds like his recovery is going well. I know there's still a long way to go. There's plenty of things that can go wrong. But certainly it's a great relief to know he's got a heart and I'm just, I'm very thankful.

HEMMER: We were buying some time here, trying to get that signal reestablished in Kuwait. I asked your wife this question. Why don't you answer it.

Do you feel differently now, based on your decision to deploy with your unit in Kuwait, knowing that your son right now has that transplant?

MAJ. HAL SELLERS: Well, I think it gives me a lot more peace of mind. Obviously coming over here, I did not have the connectivity, wasn't able to go see him or call on him every day, as I had gotten used to over the time he was in the hospital. So knowing that he's finally got a heart, that he's got a fighting chance certainly leaves my mind much more at rest and I can kind of put, you know, put out in the back of my mind, but probably more clearly focus on what I need to do here.

So I'm just, I'm thankful he's got it and praying that his recovery goes well.

HEMMER: Thanks for being patient with us.

Major Hal Sellers by way of video phone in Kuwait and Betsy Sellers in 29 Palms, California.

Get some sleep this weekend, OK, Betsy? BETSY SELLERS: I'm going to try.

HEMMER: You've been up and at it.

OK, best of luck to you. BETSY SELLERS: Yes.

HEMMER: And thanks for being patient and hanging in there with us.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Transplant>