New & Now
COMMUNITY BUZZ Newsworthy happenings PHOTOS PROVIDED Oklahoma Children’s Performs State’s First Partial Heart Transplant
Oklahoma Children’s OU Health has performed Oklahoma’s first partial heart transplant, giving an infant living heart valves from a donor that have the potential to grow with the child. The rare procedure is the first of its kind among pediatric and adult transplant programs in the state and places Oklahoma Children’s among a select group of centers nationwide offering the technique. Unlike traditional valve replacements, which are fixed in size and may require repeated surgeries as a child grows, a partial heart transplant replaces only damaged valves with living donor tissue. The approach could help some children with severe heart valve disease avoid multiple open-heart surgeries throughout their lives.
The procedure was performed by Oklahoma Children’s pediatric heart team, led by pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Harold Burkhart. Fewer than 50 partial heart transplants have been performed in the United States. Oklahoma Children’s is participating in a national study tracking outcomes from partial heart transplants and exploring additional approaches, including “domino” transplants. The new Oklahoma Children’s heart center is expected to open in early 2030, further expanding specialized pediatric cardiac care in Oklahoma. Learn more at oklahomachildrens.org/heartcenter.
New Clara Luper Civil Rights Center Coming to Oklahoma City Oklahoma City is moving forward with a new center honoring the legacy of civil rights leader and educator Clara Luper. Groundbreaking for the $17 million MAPS 4 Clara Luper Civil Rights Center has taken place, with the 17,694-square-foot facility expected to open in 2028.
Located just south of the historic Freedom Center at N. Martin Luther King Avenue and NE. 24th Street, the center will feature exhibitions exploring Oklahoma’s civil rights history, along with classrooms and an event hall for youth activities, public programs and community gatherings. Luper led her students in nonviolent demonstrations during the 1950s and ’60s that helped desegregate hundreds of establishments across Oklahoma. The new center will preserve and share that history while encouraging future generations to learn about the people and events that shaped the state. Outdoor features will include projections onto the building’s exterior and public artwork funded through Oklahoma City’s 1% for Art program. The center will be operated by the Freedom Center of Oklahoma City, which is located just north of the new facility. The project is part of MAPS 4, Oklahoma City’s voter-approved public improvement program. Learn more at okc.gov/maps4.
OKC Zoo Welcomes New Gorilla Family Members
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden has welcomed two critically endangered Western lowland gorillas to its Great EscApe habitat. Kashata, 33, and her daughter, Grace, 7, joined the zoo’s gorilla family troop through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, a cooperative effort to support healthy and sustainable animal populations. The mother-daughter duo has been gradually introduced to the zoo’s gorilla troop and is now forming social bonds with the group. Kashata is described by caretakers as confident and intelligent, while Grace is playful, curious and eager to participate in training.
Western lowland gorillas face threats from poaching, disease and habitat destruction in Central and Western Africa. The OKC Zoo supports conservation efforts through programs such as Saving Animals From Extinction and partnerships with organizations including the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Visitors can also support gorilla conservation through the zoo’s Gorilla on the Line program. Donors receive a free general admission voucher. Learn more at okczoo.org.
8 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2026
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