2026 – Nathan Ellinger – Springville High School HS

Service as Surgery: How I Healed Without a Scalpel

I just celebrated my eighteenth birthday and on that day my parents joked that the party should be for them because they kept me alive for eighteen years.  I was born with a set of complex Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) and multiple other serious birth defects such as Pierre Robin Sequence requiring 57 operations since I was born.  I had my first open heart surgery when I was a newborn.  I have had three heart surgeries within the last seven years as my body has grown and manmade and cadaver parts have worn out.  My heart has a mechanical valve and a bovine valve along with other manmade parts to help it operate efficiently.  I had heart surgery last summer and participated in a clinical trial at Primary Children’s Hospital, the 6^th patient at this hospital and the 12^th in the United States to test cutting edge technology.  Without my heart surgeries, I wouldn’t have the energy to do the things I love, let alone any schoolwork or work toward my professional goals.  I know that I will also face many additional open-heart surgeries throughout my life.  It is terrifying to have these thoughts always in the back of my mind because this is the body I was born with.

During these times I have been surrounded by doctors, nurses, and loved ones, yet being in the hospital can be very lonely.  I don’t get to see my friends and my teachers who have been a support to me as I have grown.  During my first heart surgery my mom met other parents at the hospital who also had children with CHD’s.  We joined an organization called Intermountain Healing Hearts (IHH) which is a support group for families of children with CHD’s.  Through the years I got to meet older kids who were like me.  They helped me know I wasn’t alone and that I didn’t have to worry like I always did.  We also had a lot of fun as well.  When I was in the hospital it always seemed like there was someone who had been through the same thing who could comfort me and help calm my fears.  Intermountain Healing Hearts helped me feel safe during the times I felt the most scared. 

I have always been grateful for IHH and the support they gave me.  It happened so naturally that as I attended events for IHH that I met younger kids who were going through the same things as me.  I was able to make them feel not so alone.  It felt so good to receive and to give through IHH.  I looked forward to attending these events as they happened multiple times a year.  I made more friends and was able to help more kids each time we got together.  Over time, I started volunteering at fundraising and community outreach events.  I gathered and printed hundreds of pictures of kids with heart defects to place around the walking path at fundraising events for the last 5 years.  I’ve collected, organized and sold merchandise at the annual “Walk for Healing Hearts” to raise money to help other families pay for their tremendous medical bills every year since I’ve been in 8^th grade.  I’ve also talked to many parents of young children who can see me as a teen and to give them hope for their own child’s future.  Serving in this way has helped to heal mine and other’s broken hearts.

I remember going to a doctor’s appointment at Primary Children’s Hospital a few years ago with a doctor I have seen since I was an infant.  He was familiar with IHH and the work they do in supporting children with CHD’s and my participation in it.   We were talking about the horrific string of gun violence that had happened between neighbors, family, and students in Springville in a short period of time.  He smiled at me, though, and said, “It’s tragic to see that in a community, but I’m glad to see what a Mighty Springville Red Devil should be in front of me.”  I asked what he meant.  This doctor played football against Springville during his high school years and understood the tradition of determination and resilience from students at Springville High School.  He said there is always more good that comes from Red Devils than bad and I was a part of that good. 

Right now, I am 5’7 and weigh about 110 pounds, the equivalent of Steve Rogers before he became Captain America.  I lack the obvious physical strength that people think about when they hear the word “mighty”, but I represent the Mighty Red Devils in other ways.  I’m mentally tough, I have a fierce love for others who are struggling even if they struggle with something different than me, and I persevere even when life gets hard. I am grateful for the lessons I have learned as a Mighty Red Devil and as a member of IHH.  Despite my frail body, I have the tools to understand and connect with people on a deeply personal level.  I’ve learned the importance of community service, not just to help others but to find confidence in myself.  I know that life isn’t as terrifying when I can see past my own set of problems and give support and love to those around me. I want to take what I have learned from both organizations and continue to let others know that even though they are going through difficulties and trials, they are never alone.