9-year-old heart recipient's dreams come true with a glove from Tiger Woods and a trip to the Masters https://t.co/yzlzZf5pgq
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) April 11, 2023
Jon Rahm won the Masters championship on Sunday, walking off the 18th green at Augusta to claim his first title. For many golf enthusiasts, merely being able to walk the grounds of Augusta National is a dream come true.
For 9-year-old Madelyn Quinn, attending the Masters was part of her bucket list, which included meeting her golf idol, Tiger Woods. However, she may not have accomplished either without her new heart, which her family refers to as a modern miracle.
Madelyn was born with a hole in her heart known as ventricular septal defect, which caused her to experience breathing problems and prevented her from gaining weight. She underwent three open-heart surgeries, and when she was 18 months old, doctors put her on the transplant list.
They eventually found a perfect match, and the surgery was a success. For the first time, Madelyn had rosy cheeks and an appetite, and now she celebrates “heart birthdays.” She has also found her passion for golf and considers it her calling.
Madelyn’s father, a former PGA pro, introduced her to golf by showing her videos of Tiger Woods as a child. She began playing at the age of two, and her father always reminds her to have fun during tournaments.
Two months ago, Madelyn attended the Genesis Invitational with her father, where she met Woods, who signed a glove for her and checked off an item on her bucket list. Her dream was to attend the Masters, and a stranger who saw her story on social media invited her to attend. Despite the rain, Madelyn was not deterred and focused on learning from the golfers’ techniques.
Madelyn’s story is one of resilience and hope. She enjoys sharing her story to make others happy and reminds people never to forget the kindness of strangers, especially the family that gave her a new heart. Her family believes that good can come from any situation, and Madelyn’s success on the golf course is proof of that.