HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – A Hattiesburg woman has defied the odds after becoming the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) second transplant patient to give birth.

Brooke Lillie, a two-time transplant recipient, was able to overcome the high risks of pregnancy to give birth to her daughter, Lauren.

Lillie though she may never be able to have children due to having two organ transplants, both her heart and kidney. She didn’t let the risks stand in her way.

“I had that feeling of wanting and needing to be a mom and have my own family. And that was just something that I couldn’t ignore,” said Lillie.

At just 15-months-old, she had to have a heart transplant after developing restrictive cardiomyopathy. Lillie then had to undergo a kidney transplant in 2019. The double transplant lessened her chances of ever having a successful pregnancy.

“A lot of the medications that we use after a transplant can be quite toxic to not only the mom but also the baby. So, we have to back off on a lot of those and changing the immunosuppression. So, that directly puts the mother having rejection, meaning her own could reject the heart,” said Dr. Jose A. Tallaj, MD, UAB Hospital.

After speaking with her doctor, Lillie was determined to try.

“If it wasn’t meant to be, I felt like God wouldn’t let it. And if it was meant to be, then he would. And so, I had to really just trust what his plan was, because I prayed and prayed and prayed for me to have my family, my own family, and for me to be a mother,” she said.

After changing her anti-rejection medications, Lillie soon became pregnant. She remained healthy until she developed preeclampsia at 32 weeks. After beginning to show signs of renal failure, Lillie had to undergo an emergency C-section.

On June 30, 2023, Lille gave birth to her daughter. Though Laurel was born two months premature, she is now happy and healthy.

“She’s just the happiest baby, and she makes our whole family happy. She is mine and my husband’s miracle, and I just wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world. I would do it all again for her,” she said.

Eight months later Lillie said she’s had no long-term effects from the pregnancy.

“My transplant teams check bloodwork every month and make sure that I’m not having any rejection. I’m not having any decline in my kidney function. And so far, everything has been perfect,” she said.

Lillie said it was her faith in God that pulled her through.

“I just want to make sure to give Him the credit, because it’s not me. It’s not my doctors, it’s not my husband. You know, while all those people are great and very helpful, they are not. The reason that I have her is God,” she said.

Doctors at UAB said they hope cases like Lillie’s will help advance treatment for other pregnant transplant patients.