Meet Ava Babbin-kaufman | Founder/Executive director Ava’s Heart foundation.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ava Babbin-kaufman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ava, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Sixteen years ago, in the fragile moment between life and death, I beheld a radiant light. As I stood on the cusp of eternity, deciding whether to go or stay, the scent of my 11 year old daughters hair tugged me back. A new heartbeat pulsated within me from my emergency heart transplant. I vowed to champion life against all odds. I promised that if I could return to be my daughters mom again, I would spend the rest of my life giving others a second chance at life., like I had received. Ten days earlier I had died, was resuscitated and placed on life support. I ‘d had a rare autoimmune disease that had been misdiagnosed as psoriasis for three months. i went from taking dance class every day to needing a walker. Suddenly I was one of the 100,000 people in the US waiting for a lifesaving organ. Mine was one of the new names that gets added to that waiting list every ten minutes. My pledge made literally in the throes of mortality, is the heartbeat of Ava’s Heart- a 501 c 3 non profit organization . Ava’s Heart is a beacon of hope and house of second chance for those needing pre and post op transplant housing. ( every ten minutes someone new gets added to the list and 17 people die everyday waiting for a life saving organ)
Be a Lifeline -the Ava’s house Initiative. Did you know? that if you don’t have a place to stay near your organ transplant center for at least three months–usually more. you can’t get listed for a transplant. Doctors mandate this housing, but insurance doesn’t cover it., and the hospitals don’t provide it. — WE DO.—- people come from all over the country, the world even to LA where we do 32 percent of all transplants in the US. we have some of the best transplant centers and advanced treatments. Ava’s Heart. arose from the ashes of my own adversity, fueled by my determination to alleviate the financial barriers many face in securing an organ transplant. Today, Ava’s Heart stands as a testament to my promise to address the healthcare inequity. We provide essential pre and post-transplant and foster a community of support and resilience. for those who travel to LA for their transplant care. With homes (we have three)that have sheltered over 400 patients and their caregivers for the past 15 years, Ava’s Heart is a santuary, nurturing new beginnings .Our work is proof that post transplant housing is literally life-saving.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Ava’s Heart is a 501 c 3 that provides no cost housing to families that must travel to los Angeles for their pre and post op transplant related care. Insurance doesn’t cover it and the hospitals don’t provide it. 32 percent of all the transplants in the U.S. are done in LA. Nevada has no transplant enters . People come from all over the US all over the world for their transplant related care. What sets us apart is that no one else is doing this. Transplant is not like cancer, many people do not understand what it takes to get listed, the waiting, the near death experiences and ones desire to live when u are so close to death. I have done many things in my life, I was a professional dancer and ran two very successful business. When I began started Ava’s Heart I did not know anything about the non profit world .I did not know how truly difficult it would be raising funds for something that most people knew nothing about. Hardest thing I have ever done. i have not over come the challanges , still working hard to keep the doors open , however with all of that said we have been able to assist over 400 families, was a CNN hero in 2022, made the top 15 and won numerous awards and won the 2023 patient advocacy award by the Ass. of Transplant professionals. I did a Ted x talk to educate people about the inequities in the world of transplant. So I just keep going because I made a promise to god and have been blessed with good health. February 21 is my double birthday–16 years out and 75 years old. .
Please go to avasheart.org and join our It’s just one Campaign. Thank you—from my new hearty to yours, Ava
my Ted X is available on avasheart.org—or u tube Ted X Ava Kaufman. What i have learned since my heart transplant.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Its a strange time to be asked this question as our city burns to the ground. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost their homes and businesses. If my best friend came to visit I would let her see how resilient everyone in this city is. How we have come together to help perfect strangers young and old , rich and poor. How beautiful and amazing and fragile life can be. But most of all how dedicated and beyond words the fire fighters are and our local police. Regular people doing extrodinary things. Sometimes we need to see though the horror to see the real beauty.
God bless Los Angeles.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My very special shout out is to Cedars Sinai Medical center for listing me for a heart transplant even though they did not expect me to live. I dropped dead in my home which was five minutes from Cedars. I was rushed to the hospital put on life support. The only thing that would save me was a new heart. i was listed as an experiment because they had never seen the auto immune disease they diagnosed me with destroy a heart before. I was not expected to live. I received a new heart in ten days on my birthday. Thank you Cedars for a second chance at life. To my daughter Jade who gave me a reason to live and my highter power who would not let me follow the light.
a special thank you to The One Legacy Foundation for getting me started and helping me learn about the world of organ donation.
To the many transplant families I have meet on this amazing journey——
To my friends and a few members of my family–you all know who you are.
To Tina Hill for helping me to write my book SHARKHEART—on amazon.
a very special shout out To Rick Carusco, Nicole Mendez, and Lance J. Walter
I love you David, Clare, Tina, Sidra, Heidi and Isabel.

Website: https://avasheart.org

Instagram: @avasheart

Linkedin: Ava Kaufman

Twitter: 2avasheart

Facebook: Ava Babbin Kaufman

Yelp: Ava’sHeart

Youtube: Avas Heart TV

Other: purchase my book SHARK HEART by K.B. Hill and Ava Babbin Kaufman. on amazon.

join our It’s Just one campaign ——avasheart.org. Donate even $1.00 a month to hewlp transplant families receive the post op care they need.