Construction Crew's Daily Waves Bring Hope to Ohio Girl Awaiting Heart Transplant
In a touching display of human compassion, construction workers in Ohio have formed a profound personal bond with a four-year-old girl who has been hospitalized for more than 100 days while awaiting a life-saving heart transplant. The Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital recently shared the uplifting story of Brinley Wyczalek, whose daily interactions with the workers have become a beacon of hope during her challenging medical journey.
A Daily Ritual of Connection
Each afternoon at precisely 3 p.m., Brinley eagerly awaits the construction crew's arrival at her hospital window. The workers, who are building a new Neurological Institute adjacent to the medical facility, have established a heartwarming routine: at the conclusion of their shifts, they ascend one floor of the construction site to wave enthusiastically toward Brinley's room, often forming heart shapes with their hands. The young patient responds in kind, creating her own hand-shaped hearts in return.
The Flashlight That Started It All
This extraordinary connection began unexpectedly in January when Brinley's father, Travis Wyczalek, used a flashlight to signal the construction crew from his daughter's hospital room. "To our surprise, someone flashed a light right back at us," recalled Brinley's mother, Berlyn Wyczalek. At that time, Brinley had already been connected to a ventricular assist device called a Berlin Heart for several weeks—a mechanical pump that helps circulate blood through her body while she awaits transplantation.
The four-year-old was born healthy, but doctors discovered at age two that a combination of viruses had severely weakened her heart muscle, necessitating the urgent need for a transplant.
Messages of Support and Generosity
Within days of the initial flashlight exchange, the construction workers displayed a handmade sign facing Brinley's window with the encouraging words: "Get well soon." The Wyczalek family responded with their own message: "Thank you. Waiting for a heart." This prompted the crew to create another sign that read: "Praying for you and your family. Keep fighting."
The exchange of messages evolved into tangible acts of kindness. The construction workers organized donations for Brinley, including coloring books, games, a signed hard hat, and an oversized stuffed bear. "We build hospitals to help people heal," explained Devan Nail, a union carpenter involved in the project. "But seeing Brinley made it personal. We wanted her to know she has a whole crew behind her."
The Healing Power of Human Connection
While Brinley continues her wait for a compatible donor heart, she receives support not only from her family and medical team but also from her unexpected construction worker friends. Dr. Shahnawaz Amdani, Brinley's pediatric cardiologist and Section Head of Pediatric Heart Transplant at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, emphasized the importance of this connection: "Healing isn't only physical. Human connection matters deeply."
Brinley's mother expressed profound gratitude for the workers' consistent gestures during her daughter's health struggles. "All of this started with a flashlight," Berlyn Wyczalek reflected. "And it's shown us that even in the hardest moments, there's so much good."
The story serves as a powerful reminder that compassion can bridge the gap between strangers, creating meaningful connections that transcend the boundaries of construction sites and hospital walls.
