The surprising generous gesture of a teenage Make a Wish recipient

Mac Gohagan, center in camouflage shirt and cap, chose to give something special to his care team at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital. Photos provided

Heart surgeon Andrew Savage, M.D., has seen a lot of kids’ dreams realized through Make-A-Wish South Carolina, an organization that works to grant the wishes of critically ill children. But witnessing what heart transplant recipient Mac Gohagan did with his wish was a first for Savage. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

Instead of asking for something for himself, Mac, now 18, chose to request the donation of a pair of luxurious massage chairs to the team that took care of him at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in Charleston. “They did a lot for me. I mean, they saved my life, so it was the least I could do. They work hard all the time, so they deserve to have something to help them relax and keep them going,” Mac said.

Mac tries one of the two massage chairs, worth a combined $24,000. Todd Lowery of Relax the Back Mount Pleasant is showing him how it works. The chairs were donated almost entirely in-kind.

His decision to choose from Make-A-Wish’s “to give” category was unusual. Misty Farmer, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish South Carolina, said only one or two kids make that selection each year. “He chose to honor the people who gave him a second chance at life. It’s a powerful act of generosity and gratitude — and a reminder of the deep emotional impact a wish can have.”

Mac’s wish was the result of care he got during a difficult time in his life. Last year, as a high school junior at Patrick Henry Academy in Estill, South Carolina, Mac felt short of breath at football practice. In the days that followed he coughed, vomited and ran a fever. Mac’s doctor sent him to the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.

There, doctors found that Mac’s heart was failing, the result of previously undiagnosed muscular dystrophy. Fortunately, Mac was under the care of one of the best heart teams in the country. And that team worked closely with specialists in other areas such as neuromuscular services to save the Lowcountry teen’s life.

Through it all, Savage said Mac maintained a remarkably good attitude. “Every time we saw him, no matter how sick he was, he would ask, ‘Hey, how you doing? Are you doing alright? Is everything going okay?’ It's just his type of personality.”

Mac had heart transplant surgery in July of 2024. More than a year later, his care team was thrilled to see how healthy he was during a ceremony celebrating the Make-A-Wish South Carolina donation. Saju Joy, M.D., chief executive officer of MUSC Health-Charleston Division, was on hand for the occasion.

“Everyone can enjoy those chairs – doctors, nurses, the cleaning crew – everybody,” he said. “And that sort of embodies what it took to make this happen for Mac. He had a ventricular assist device. He had a great heart transplant. He was able to go home prior to his transplant on IV inotropic therapy (medication to help the heart). You're not able to do that in a lot of places. It's recognition of our entire program.”

That program now has a wish for Mac: continued good health and a long life.

Savage said taking care of him has been an honor for everyone involved. “There were lots of ups and downs through his course. And I love that Mac brought the spotlight back on our staff.”