11-Year-Old Drake Fan Sofia Sanchez Speaks Out After Getting Heart Transplant

Sofia Sanchez, the 11-year-old girl who received a surprise visit from Drake at the hospital, spoke with TODAY about her future after a heart transplant.

"I haven’t felt this free in a while." 11-year-old Sofia Sanchez appeared to be in great spirits when NBC News caught up with her, one month after getting a heart transplant. Sanchez found a place in our heart following the viral video where she received a surprise visit from Drake last month at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. 

Sanchez, who has been staying with her mother Natalie at the Chicago Ronald McDonald House since getting discharged from the hospital last week, said that she could not only walk, talk, and eat, but she can also “make slime.” Sofia is still required to wear a mask when going out in public, and take medicine that would prevent her body from rejecting the heart, but that’s all a small price to pay after what she and her mom had to endure all summer long. 

After noticing a “grey coloring” to Sanchez, Natalie pressed for more tests despite an initial diagnosis from doctors which included asthma and psychological issues. It was eventually discovered that Sofia’s heart was pumping at 12 percent. She wound up spending the entire summer waiting for a transplant in the heart unit. That wait, however, became much more bearable when Drake showed up.

Now, Sofia is looking forward to the day that she can join Drake onstage to perform her favorite song. “He said when I get out of the hospital and can be around more people, he said he's going to bring me up on stage and sing 'God's Plan' with me.” In the meantime, the two remain in contact after Drake gave her an iPhone to text him on his personal number. 

Aside from that, Sanchez is hoping to return home by Halloween, and get back into her hobbies, like gymnastics, and cheerleading. She also looks forward to the day when she can tell her friends, “Hey, everybody, I'm back!” We are too.

Latest in Music