ADRIAN, Mich. — Home is where the new heart is for a 21-year-old Adrian man.
Gabe Villanueva arrived at his house for the first time in five weeks following a heart transplant Monday night, and WTOL 11 was there to capture the moment.
Dozens bundled up and stood out in the cold to cheer on Gabe, celebrating after more than two-and-a-half years waiting for a new heart.
"It means a lot that everyone would just come together and be here for me," Villanueva said.
It's the first time in years following a severe car accident that Gabe is no longer reliant on an artificial heart pump called an LVAD.
"It's something I've waited for so long for that when I got the call it didn't seem real," Villanueva said.
Knowing Gabe has his new heart allows his family to look forward for the first time since the accident.
"I'm looking forward to seeing him follow his dreams," Gabe's mom Lindsey McMordie said. "His heart has always been so big, so I think it will be amazing to see what God has planned for him and I'm anxious to sit back and watch him go."
Besides getting stronger, Gabe plans to continue his college courses to become a nurse and work with patients on LVADs. While on the transplant list, he was already taking one to two classes a semester.
"I really want to be a nurse so I can give back to people like other people have given to me," Villanueva said.
But for right now, he's focusing on enjoying the small things.
"I can shower whenever I want because before with the LVAD, showering was like a two-hour process," Gabe said.
Through all the commotion and excitement of his homecoming, the family took a moment to pause to pray for Gabe's donor and their family, knowing their journey has been difficult in a different way.
Gabe and his family are now able to take down a tree they've had up in the front window for two-and-a-half years. It's filled with prayers and well-wishes from friends waiting for Gabe to get a new heart.
A tree with prayers, now answered.
"From here forward we'll put it up on the anniversary of his transplant, January 27th, and we'll leave it up for a month every year," McMordie said.