Pediatric anesthesiologist Amy Beethe first met 4-year-old True in a hospital room in January 2021, and he was all alone and about to undergo heart surgery. 

True was born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome — a severe congenital condition — and quickly captured the attention of the medical team caring for him. “He was sitting there all alone,” Beethe told reporters. “It took me back that this 4-year-old was going to go through heart surgery, and nobody was there.” 

That glimpse into True’s hospital life stayed with Amy. She and her husband, Ryan, went to visit after the operation and “immediately fell in love with him,” Ryan said. Within weeks, True was staying with the Beethes — and shortly after, the family adopted him. “He’s truly become my son,” Amy told KETV, adding, “I would battle for him like anybody else. When it comes to his health, I’m a mama bear, and I fight hard.” 

Doctors describe True’s condition as a fight he meets every day. “He has a severe form of congenital heart disease where essentially one side of his heart is underdeveloped,” Dr. Jason Cole, pediatric cardiologist and medical director of Advanced Pediatric Heart Failure & Transplants at Children’s Nebraska, said. “He has one side of the heart to do two sides’ worth of work.” True has undergone multiple surgeries already, and medical teams say those procedures are temporary solutions while the family waits for a transplant timeline that remains uncertain. 

Despite the medical hurdles, True’s energy and joy shine through. “I thought he was asleep, then I pulled down his mask, and he said, ‘Boo!’” Amy recalled, laughing. True Beethe, now 9, plays basketball, jokes with siblings, and tells people, “They’re my mom and dad.” The Beethes didn’t stop with True: they also adopted his biological sister, and other siblings have been placed with relatives and medical staff who wanted to keep the family close. “We found a home for everyone,” Amy said. 

Local outlets that first told the story have called the family’s decision “meant to be,” noting how a doctor-patient relationship grew into parenthood and how members of the medical community and extended family stepped in to ensure the children stayed together. According to reports, the Beethes and other relatives continue to manage True’s care while celebrating everyday milestones and making the most of the time they have before a transplant becomes necessary.