CAPE TEEN GETS NEW HEART

"All right!" said Kevin Lossing when he and his parents were notified Wednesday night that his heart transplant would take place within the next 12 hours.

The Cape Girardeau teen-ager, who had waited 92 days for a new heart, received it Thursday morning.

Kevin, 13, underwent heart transplant surgery at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Kathryn Holleman, a hospital spokesperson, said at 3 p.m. that Kevin was in critical but stable condition, and would probably remain in that condition for a day or two.

Holleman said that although critical but stable is the most serious of the patient designations, it is normal and to be expected after heart-transplant surgery.

Kevin's father, Gary Lossing, said Thursday at about 4 p.m. that Kevin was doing very well. "He's doing great," said Lossing. "All his vital signs -- blood pressure, heart rate -- are extremely good."

Lossing said that Kevin was taken to the operating room at 7:45 a.m. Thursday and the donor heart arrived at 9:30. The operating surgeon, Dr. Eric Mendeloff, notified Kevin's parents at 12:30 p.m. that the surgery was essentially complete and that Kevin was fine.

Kevin was ready to go when notification came. "He was very positive," Lossing said. "He's been that way from the beginning. We've always tried to keep him positive because we've thought that if he were positive going into surgery that would allow him to be positive when he came out."

Lossing said that Kevin's mother, Yvonne, was holding up extremely well. He said they both felt much better after knowing the surgery was successful. "The feeling is probably like that at the birth of a child," said Lossing. "The excitement and enthusiasm are really indescribable."

Barring complications, Kevin will be in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Children's Hospital for a couple of days and then will remain in the hospital for about two weeks, Holleman said.

Kevin has Becker's muscular dystrophy, which caused his heart to weaken and function at only 20 percent of its normal capacity, thus making the transplant necessary.

Gary Lossing said that he and his wife appreciate the community support they have received. "We'd like to thank each and every one for all the support -- the prayers and the phone calls," he said. The phone lines at the hospital were "lit up" all Thursday morning with calls from well-wishers and people wanting to know Kevin's condition, Lossing said.

The Lossing family are members of Cape Bible Chapel. "Kevin has been on our prayer list from the very first day he was told he needed a new heart," said Chereyl Osborne, Cape Bible Chapel secretary. "Many prayers have been spoken on Kevin's behalf, and today was a day of rejoicing after the surgery was successful.

"We will continue to keep Kevin in our prayers. We know the rest of the community will also."

Yvonne Lossing works two days a week with handicapped children at Jefferson Elementary School in Cape Girardeau. Gary works two days a week as a manufacturer's salesman. Prior to the surgery, the two parents spent alternating days in St. Louis with Kevin.

Holleman said that Kevin was the last of a group of five teens who were waiting for a heart transplant at Children's Hospital. "Having that many teens at one time is highly unusual," Holleman said. "Usually there are only one or two."

Children who receive transplants are usually much younger, said Holleman. She said that it is very tough for teen-agers to receive a heart because they must compete with adults, and adult hearts are in limited supply.

Gary Lossing asked for the community's continued support. "One last thing," he said. "Kevin is still in critical condition. We need for people to say a little prayer for Kevin every night."