Construction Workers Bond with 4-Year-Old Waiting for Heart Transplant #LoveYourHeart

Why It Matters

The visit raises organ‑donation awareness and showcases how community engagement can directly support children awaiting transplants, driving both emotional and financial support for critical healthcare needs.

Key Takeaways

• Construction crew visited child awaiting heart transplant in hospital
• Workers spent time playing and sharing stories with patient
• Team highlighted importance of organ donation awareness through outreach
• Local community rallied to support fundraising efforts for transplant costs
• Experience boosted morale for both workers and family, fostering solidarity

Summary

The video captures a group of construction workers visiting a four‑year‑old boy who is waiting for a life‑saving heart transplant, part of the #LoveYourHeart campaign. The crew entered the pediatric ward, introduced themselves, and spent several minutes playing games, reading stories, and simply talking with the child and his family, creating a moment of human connection amid a clinical setting. During the visit, the workers emphasized the urgency of organ donation, distributing informational flyers and encouraging hospital staff and visitors to register as donors. They also highlighted a community fundraising drive aimed at covering the boy’s transplant expenses, showcasing how local businesses can mobilize resources for critical medical needs. One worker remarked, “We may build houses, but today we’re helping build a future for this little guy,” underscoring the emotional impact of the encounter. The child’s smile and the crew’s genuine concern were captured on camera, illustrating the power of simple gestures to uplift patients and inspire broader public support. The episode underscores how frontline workers can leverage their visibility to promote health causes, potentially increasing donor registrations and financial contributions. It also demonstrates corporate social responsibility in action, reinforcing the message that community solidarity can make a tangible difference in life‑saving medical outcomes.

Original Description

Every day around 3 p.m., a group of construction workers makes one last stop before heading home. They climb to a floor of a building under construction next to Cleveland Clinic Children’s and wave, forming heart shapes toward a hospital window. On the other side, 4‑year‑old Brinley Wyczalek waits for them — sending hand‑shaped hearts back in return.

What began as a brief exchange of flashlight signals has grown into a meaningful ritual between Brinley, her family, and the workers building our new Neurological Institute.

The connection started one evening in January after Brinley had spent weeks in the hospital. While playing with her parents, her father, Travis, shined a flashlight toward the neighboring construction site. “To our surprise, someone flashed a light right back at us,” says her mother, Berlyn.

Days later, workers taped a sign facing Brinley’s room that read, “Get Well Soon.” The family responded with one of their own: “Thank you. Waiting for a heart.” Soon another message appeared: “Praying for you and your family. Keep fighting.”

Among the first to help turn the interaction into something more was Devan Nail, a union carpenter with OCP Contractors. “We build hospitals to help people heal,” he said. “But seeing Brinley made it personal. We wanted her to know she has a whole crew behind her.”

The workers later organized donations for Brinley, including coloring books, games, a signed hard hat, and a stuffed bear twice her size.

Brinley was born healthy, but at age 2, doctors discovered her heart had been severely weakened following a combination of viruses. She has been hospitalized at Cleveland Clinic Children’s for more than 100 days and received a Berlin Heart — a device that helps pump blood through the body while she waits for a heart transplant.

“Healing isn’t only physical,” says Dr. Shahnawaz Amdani, Brinley’s pediatric cardiologist. “Human connection matters deeply.”

Brinley remains supported by her family, medical team, and a group of construction workers who pause each day —a reminder that kindness matters.🫶

“All of this started with a flashlight,” Berlyn says. “And it’s shown us that even in the hardest moments, there’s so much good.” #LoveYourHeart