Baby Tenley gets heart transplant at Texas Children's Hospital

HOUSTON – Texas Children's Hospital joined the ranks of three other hospitals last week for surpassing 1,500 transplants.

One of them was a lifesaving heart transplant for Tenley Kennedy, who KPRC first reported on in February.

Baby Tenley was the inspiration for the Texas Children's music therapist's "heartbeat songs.

Tenley's broken heart provided the beat for one of the songs.

[READ: Musical therapist sings to heartbeats of patients at Texas Children's Hospital]

Recently, Texas Children's Hospital called Channel 2 and asked us to come see Tenley again.

On May 10, Tenley got the heart transplant she had been waiting for, performed by Dr. Carlos Mery.

"We weren't getting any better. I mean, her heart function had gotten better but she wasn't. She still needed a heart and it's a scary time, so just to know that wait is finally over is just -- a burden is lifted off of your chest," Kelly Kennedy said.

Kelly thinks music motivated Tenley to fight.

Marial Baird, the Texas Children's music therapist made regular visits, and Kelly recalled a time Baird sang Tenley to sleep during a difficult day.

Now, Tenley finds her own ways to communicate with song.

"If you're happy and you know it," Kelly started singing and Tenley finished the song by clapping her hands.

She's happy, and in about five weeks she should be healthy enough to go home.