Baby Girl Returns to Japan in Good Health after Heart Transplant in U.S.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:16 JST, December 26, 2023

Aoi Sato, a two-year-old girl from Tokyo’s Toshima Ward, has returned to Japan in good health following a successful heart transplant in the United States. Her parents shared the news on Monday at a press conference in Tokyo, where they presented the healthy child.

Aoi was found to have congenital heart disease soon after birth and was later diagnosed with severe heart failure. However, there was concern that the waiting period for a transplant would be too long in Japan, so the family temporarily moved to the United States in March. The surgery was performed in August, and they returned to Japan on Dec. 19.