She then heard Mrs. Santos’ voice.
"Did they find a matching heart for our son? Can he undergo the surgery now?"
"Yes! Dr. Tate said they found one!" Mr. Santos said.
"Oh, I'm so glad! I'll start packing right away. Let's go to Bridgedale!" Mrs. Santos said.
Avery overheard their conversation and could understand why they were excited.
"Mr. Santos, Eric's doctor toldthat there's a ny percent chance that the surgery will succeed," Avery said. "The heart is not
a perfect match. Considering Eric's current condition, we can't postpone the surgery any longer. The doctor rmends that we
start the surgery as soon as possible as we can't afford to wait any longer, but there are risks. | need to explain everything to you,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtand it's up to you to decide what to do."
Mr. Santos immediately froze. "That's not what you said before... You said that he will get back to normal once you find a matching
heart..." He found it difficult to accept what Avery had said.
"I'm sorry, but | lied. | was worried that Layla, you, and your wife would all have a breakdown, so | made that promise. However, a
ny percent success rate is rather high, and I think it's worth the try."
"Is that the only option? Do we have any other choices?"
"You can say no to this, and we will keep looking forans for Eric. There is a chance that we will find an even better match for
him, but there's also a chance that we don't..." Avery explained. "I rmend the surgery. Eric has been on the ECMO for too long,
and I'm afraid that his body can't withstand it any longer..."
"Lettalk to my wife. Don't hang up. | will ask her about it now." Mr. Santos hurried toward the bedroom with his phone and
explained everything to his wife.
Mrs. Santos hesitated for a few moments, before saying, "If that's what Dr. Tate rmends, let's go ahead with the surgery! We
don't know much about these things... If we miss this chance and fail to find another matching heart, our son will die! We've waited
long enough for this one. Who knows how long it will take to get another one? A success rate of ny percent is better than
nothing!"
Mr. Santos walked over to the side to inform Avery of their decision, but Avery had already overheard Mrs. Santos.
"I've consulted the doctor, and he said that by far, among the patients who have accepted heart transplants, the longest lifespan is
thirty years, and among patients in Bridgedale, the longest a patient has survived after a heart transplant is twenty-five years,"
Avery added.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Mr. Santos was shaken. "Does that mean that even if the surgery is a success, my son can only live for another thirty years?"
"That's not what | mean. He might live even longer or he might not. Everyone is different, and the rejection rate varies as well. So,
the lifespan varies."
Mr. Santos was overwhelmed by sorrow, and Mrs. Santos, who had heard Avery, took the phone from his hand and said, "Dr. Tate,
we know that you want Eric to live. No matter how long he gets to live after the surgery, you have to proceed with it. Every day he
gets to live is a bonus. He is lying in the ICU, and though he is technically alive, | can't see him or hear his voice. | don't want that...
Let's just do the surgery!"
"Sure." Avery could sympathize with their struggle. "I haven't informed Layla about this yet. | will call her right now, and you three
cane together."
"Sure."
After the call, Avery phoned Layla, who had just arrived at the office.
As soon as Layla received Avery's call, herposure instantly shattered.