Human Interest 2 Little Boys Celebrate Leaving Hospital After Receiving New Hearts: 'The Most Rewarding Part' Teddy Gomez and Aidyn Isley celebrated their discharge from Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis on back-to-back days By Joelle Goldstein Joelle Goldstein Instagram Twitter Joelle Goldstein is the Staff Editor of TV for PEOPLE Digital. She has been with the brand for five years, beginning her time as a digital news writer, where she covered everything from entertainment news to crime stories and royal tours. Since then, she has worked as a writer-reporter on the Human Interest team and an associate editor on the TV team. In her current role, Joelle helps oversee all things TV, and enjoys being able to say she has to watch The Kardashians, America's Got Talent, Love Is Blind and Dancing with the Stars for her "work" responsibilities. Prior to joining PEOPLE, Joelle was employed at The Hollywood Reporter, where she was co-nominated at the 2019 GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Magazine Article for feature cover story. She graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor's degree in Television-Radio (and an appearance in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Final Four!) People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 22, 2020 03:16 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Two boys excitedly left an Indiana hospital last week after both received new hearts. Teddy Gomez, 8, and Aidyn Isley, 4, were treated to an exit celebration by the staff at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis on back-to-back days following their successful heart procedures, according to a video posted on the hospital's Facebook page. While the moment was special for Teddy, Aidyn and their families, it was equally memorable for the nurses and staff at Riley Children's Health. "We have a really hard job, especially on our floor, we see a lot of really, really sick kids," heart center nurse Elise Strohl said in the clip. "Getting to see these kids go home is the most rewarding part of our job." According to Teddy's mom, Amie Hastings, her little boy's departure was something that he and his family had been hoping to do for nearly a year. "Almost 11 months and it just feels unbelievable because we've been here for so long," Hastings said in the video, jokingly adding, "I feel like they're losing their baby [and] I feel like I have to share him with everybody!" Teddy Gomez. Riley Children's Health Facebook 6-Year-Old Boy Finally Receives Heart Transplant After Waiting 4 Long Years on List Cassie Isley, Aidyn's mom, echoed those sentiments, noting of her son's discharge from the hospital: "It's so exciting, overwhelming. It's bittersweet, we're gonna miss everyone around here." Though both boys needed heart transplants, they were each suffering from different health ailments, a rep at Riley Hospital for Children tells PEOPLE. Teddy was diagnosed with a rare form of degenerative heart muscle disease that, if left untreated, could cause his heart to stop without warning. As for Aidyn, he was born with a dilated cardiomyopathy, which means one side of his heart grew faster than the other and could cause cardiac arrest. Prior to coming to Riley Hospital for Children, the rep says Aidyn's heart was functioning at just 15 percent, and Cassie revealed in the video that her son also suffered a near-death experience before his transplant. "We found him unconscious, he wasn't breathing. Then the doctor said it's finally time to get a new heart," she recalled, adding that Aidyn is now "like a brand new kid" after the procedure. Aidyn Isley. Riley Children's Health Facebook For Teddy's particular situation, Strohl said she was amazed at how much the little boy had grown while staying in the hospital for close to a year. "It's just really crazy to see how far he's come since he first got here," she said in the video. "He definitely has opened up and I've seen him grown as a little human so much since he first came." Though she was incredibly happy for the boys to go home, Strohl said their absence at the hospital would be felt by everyone there with whom they formed bonds. "You get attached to them especially when they're here for so long," she explained. "You really do just get to know them really well." RELATED VIDEO: 7-Month-Old Baby of New York State Troopers Prepares for 7th Heart Surgery: 'She's Our Little Trooper' "I'm so happy to watch [Teddy] go home, but we're all gonna miss him a lot because he really became part of our family on our unit, for sure, and I feel like that with most of our transplant kiddos," Strohl added. As Teddy and his mom prepare to go home after 11 long months, the little boy said he was most excited to "play with my cats and not have to eat bland food all day." Meanwhile, Hastings hoped that her son's story would provide a boost of encouragement to anyone going through similar hardships. "It might be just around the corner, you never know," she said in the video. "We all waited so long and then it was like, boom, boom, boom."