February is a special month for Teri Hutchinson and her daughter Britton, who received a heart transplant at three months of age.

In addition to celebrating 痴补濒别苍迟颈苍别鈥檚 Day on the 14th, Teri has taken time raise awareness to it also being Heart Month.

Teri has publicly acknowledged and thanked everyone who contributed to Britton being alive today 鈥� family and friends, doctors and 叠谤颈迟迟辞苍鈥檚 care team and the family who donated her 诲补耻驳丑迟别谤鈥檚 heart.

Teri said Britton, now one year and nine months old, is very lucky to have received a life-saving heart transplant.

鈥淭辞诲补测 Britton is a happy, energetic, goofy 办颈诲!,鈥� said Hutchinson. 鈥沦丑别 continues to be as feisty and sensitive as 蝉丑别鈥檚 always 产别别苍鈥� We are so proud of our Britton. Her strength, courage and determination is a constant 颈苍蝉辫颈谤补迟颈辞苍.鈥�

Teri said she and her husband, Colin, were registered organ donors before they learned their second daughter would be born with pulmonary artesia with intact ventricular septum, a rare congenital heart defect.

The Sicamous family had to stay in Edmonton, where their daughter was being treated. A series of surgeries was required to support 叠谤颈迟迟辞苍鈥檚 heart, with the understanding she would need a transplant. The need was expedited after she suffered a cardiac arrest. A donor was found and Britton received the transplant in September.

鈥沦丑别 received her heart at three months of age, so we were in hospital from when she was born to when she received the heart, and two weeks after we were 诲颈蝉肠丑补谤驳别诲,鈥� said Teri. 鈥淭飞辞 weeks to the day. Then it was just frequent appointments for another few months and then we got the green light to come 丑辞尘别.鈥�

Through her experience with Britton, Teri said 蝉丑别鈥檚 learned that heart defects and/or the need for transplants is more common among infants and youth than 蝉丑别鈥檇 thought, as is the need for registered organ donors.

鈥淭丑别谤别 are not enough organ donors by 蹿补谤,鈥� said Teri. 鈥泪迟鈥檚 something you never think is going to cross your plate in life but, obviously, 飞别鈥檙别 very pro for organ transplants and organ donors.

鈥泪 think the statistic is one organ donor can save up to eight lives. It was kind of incredible to be in the hospital 鈥� 测辞耻鈥檙别 so focused on your situation and your child, but there were at least a couple of other children who also received from the same donor at that time, and 迟丑补迟鈥檚 something I never thought about and it was just incredible, how far one donor can go.

鈥淲别 were so lucky, it just gives me goosebumps, we were so lucky to get the call because there are just so many kids and people who 诲辞苍鈥檛 make 颈迟.鈥�

For information about becoming a donor, and to register, visit www.transplant.bc.ca.