ATLANTA — A Children's Healthcare of Atlanta heart patient was sworn in as an airman for the day on Monday at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb County.
Felicity Martin, 11, said she has a passion and loves to learn about being an airman.
"It's a really cool opportunity that I get to like come here and learn about this. It's going to be really fun," she said.
Felicity was born with a rare heart condition called total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR). It's a birth defect where oxygen-rich blood does not return from the lungs to the left side of the heart but to the right side, according to a release from Children's.
She had open heart surgery when she was just four days old, where doctors worked to correct the problem.
"Our Heart Center Team was the only team at the time in the country that was a capable of performing Felicity's open-heart surgery. Her surgery was a success and Felicity was able to go home just a few weeks later," Children's wrote in the release.
Fast-forward to today, Felicity is doing well and goes back for check-ups at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. On Monday, it was a special day for the 11-year-old and her family as she took an oath -- to become an airman for the day.
"I was just envisioning her as an infant in Children's, just watching us. Not sure what her future would hold and not sure if she was going to make it," Felicity's mother Sarah Martin said. "And just really reflecting back on that time in our lives that was so hard- where there was little hope and little faith and to see her thriving, it's just a really cool moment and I'm just so grateful."
Felicity was able to take a tour and shadow those serving on the base.
"This is is such a great opportunity for her to see that there's no limit, whatever you dream, you can do. I love that she has the opportunity to meet some incredible people here, especially women so that she can visualize a future for herself," Sarah added.
Check out photos from Felicity's adventure at Dobbins Air Force Reserve below:
Photos | Felicity Martin
