Meet Miracle Kid Charlie Levin

Posted at: 05/28/2012 3:44 PM | Updated at: 05/31/2012 10:37 AM
By: Christine VanTimmeren | WHEC.com

Four-year-old Charlie Levin has already been through two heart surgeries in his young life and most likely will have to have a third within the next year.

From the very beginning, it was clear that this was a child who was going to fight through it.

Merredith Levin, Charlie’s mom said, “It was just an amazing journey. I mean it was crazy, a lot of ups and downs.”

That lowest point was when the Levins learned their then three-month-old son had a serious heart condition.

Charlie's father, Kenneth Levin said, “He looked and me and said I’m going to lay it on you and he started to explain what Charlie’s problems were.”

Dr. Alfieris of Golisano Children’s Hospital said, “Basically he was missing half of his heart and a miracle in itself that he was able to survive those three months.”

Charlie was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart, meaning the left side of his heart never fully developed.

Levin said, “The mortality rate for his condition in the first month without surgery is something like 95-percent.”

But the doctors at Golisano Children's Hospital didn't give up on Charlie. Dr. Alfieris said, “Charlie is a miracle. He has defied all the odds. Most kids don't survive days with the way Charlie was born.”

Merredith said there’s no way Charlie would be here today without the doctors at Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Charlie's music comes from his heart -- a heart that may not work like everyone else's but it beats with strength most us will never know.

You can meet all our Miracle Kids this Sunday during the Miracle Network Telethon for Golisano Children’s Hospital.

The telethon airs on News10NBC from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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