10/08/2026
Three open-heart surgeries. One unstoppable teen.
For most 14-year-olds, life revolves around school, sports and spending time with friends. For Cooper of Conover, North Carolina, that's certainly true. He stays busy playing basketball, baseball and golf. He is the kind of kid who never meets a stranger and can strike up a conversation with anyone.
What many people don't know is that Cooper has spent much of his life overcoming a serious heart condition.
At just 2 years old, a routine well-child visit revealed a heart murmur. Further testing at Atrium Health Levine Children's uncovered subaortic stenosis, a condition that caused a membrane-like growth to develop beneath his aortic valve, restricting blood flow from his heart.
Soon after, Cooper underwent his first open-heart surgery.
Six months later, the membrane had returned and grown even larger. Cooper underwent a second open-heart surgery at Levine Children's.
For years afterward, Cooper thrived. Annual checkups showed he was doing well, and he stayed active in sports, becoming a dedicated athlete who rarely slowed down.
Then, during a routine cardiology appointment in 2026, Cooper and his family received unexpected news.
The membrane had grown back.
Despite feeling perfectly healthy and continuing to play baseball and golf, testing revealed nearly 70% blockage, and doctors determined another surgery was necessary.
“It was hard for him to hear,” said his mom, Nikki. “He had worked so hard. He had gotten healthy, lost weight on his own and was taking such good care of himself. He didn't expect to hear that he needed surgery again.”
Still, Cooper faced the challenge with remarkable resilience.
Knowing surgery was ahead, he leaned into the things he loved most. He continued playing baseball, then spent countless hours on the golf course with friends, family and teammates. Golf became both an outlet and a source of comfort as he prepared for what would be his third open-heart surgery.
On Aug. 27, 2026, Cooper returned to Levine Children's, where the same surgeon who had cared for him years earlier would once again lead his operation.
Dr. Thomas Maxey, pediatric heart surgeon at Atrium Health Levine Children's, successfully repaired Cooper's subaortic stenosis for a third time. The procedure carried risks, including the possibility of requiring a pacemaker or an artificial heart valve, but Cooper's surgery went as smoothly as his family and care team could have hoped.
For Nikki and her family, the experience reinforced the trust they have built with Cooper's care team over the past decade.
“We have nothing but amazing things to say about Levine Children's,” Nikki said. “The nurses, the doctors, everyone there has been incredible. They took such good care of Cooper and our whole family.”
Cooper's journey has also had a lasting impact on his older sister, Ella.
Growing up alongside her brother's medical experiences inspired her to pursue a career in nursing. Today, Ella is a Pediatric Critical Care Unit nurse at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC. During Cooper's recent surgery and recovery, she was right by his side, serving as both a sister and a trusted advocate.
“Watching Cooper go through everything he did when he was younger definitely influenced Ella,” Nikki said. “I truly believe that's one of the reasons she became a PICU nurse. She's exactly where she's supposed to be.”
Just days after surgery, Cooper was already focused on the future. After spending only one night in the ICU and another on the cardiac floor, he was able to return home. Within weeks, he was back at school, recovering and looking forward to eventually returning to the sports he loves.
Through three open-heart surgeries, countless appointments and years of follow-up care, Cooper has never let his diagnosis define him.
“We prayed a lot through this whole process,” Nikki said. “But honestly, Cooper is the one who kept us strong. He stayed positive through everything. That's just who he is.”
Today, Cooper is healing, spending time with friends and counting down the days until he's cleared to return to the golf course.
Thank you Cooper for showing us what determination and resilience looks like.
