Tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, DiGeorge syndrome

Vayden McAllister has spent more time in hospital rooms than most kids spend on playgrounds. Thus far, his life has been marked by surgeries, setbacks, and second chances, but also by joy, resilience, and the unshakable love and support of the family who chose him and the doctors and nurses who have become like family.

Vayden came into the McAllisters’ lives at just four years old. He had already been through his first open-heart surgery as a baby and spent nearly a year at Children’s of Alabama. His diagnoses were heavy: tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, and DiGeorge syndrome. “I was handed a post-it note, front and back, with all of his conditions,” recalls his adoptive mom, Jessica McAllister. “And I was like, oh, okay. We never started fostering to adopt, but he came, and we knew he was supposed to be ours.”

Since then, Children’s has become their second home. “We’ve advocated for him, and Children’s has helped save his life over and over,” Jessica says. Trusted doctors like Dr. Mark Law and Dr. Robert Dabal, along with an entire team of nurses, specialists, and even social workers, have walked with them through countless surgeries—four open-heart procedures, multiple heart catheterizations, two eye surgeries, a G-tube placement, and more.

The hospital has also seen to the little things: Easter egg hunts in waiting rooms, holiday decorations when Vayden couldn’t go home, music therapy, therapy dogs, and schoolwork to keep him connected. “When Vayden has been inpatient, all the details mattered,” Jessica says. “We hang onto those little things. The kindness and love we get from everyone at Children’s means so much. There have been so many times the programs at Children’s have brightened Vayden’s day.”

Despite the struggles—endocarditis, pulmonary hemorrhaging, learning delays, and the challenges of being legally blind—Vayden is full of life. He hands out “God is Bigger” bracelets wherever he goes, plays basketball with the Dream Team, and works alongside other special needs kids at a restaurant in his community. He danced at his sixth-grade graduation, went to Camp Courage, and made lifelong friends at heart camp. “There are milestones he’s getting to live that we didn’t think we’d get to see,” Jessica says.

Today, Vayden is a middle schooler—something no one was certain he would live to become. He goes to class with his own aide, cheers on his teammates, and continues to prove that joy and courage can coexist with the hardest battles. “Vayden is beating the odds every day,” Jessica says. “He’s a fighter. But he has a team behind him at Children’s that we definitely trust.”

After thirteen years of care, Children’s of Alabama is more than a hospital for Vayden and his family. It’s a place of healing, hope, and home. And at the center of it all is a boy who refuses to stop living fully, faithfully, and joyfully—reminding everyone around him that life, no matter how fragile, is a gift worth celebrating. “Children’s is our home away from home,” Jessica says. “From the cleaning lady to the surgeons, everyone plays a part. We’ve even had nurses pray with us when Vayden went unresponsive. They are our family.”