May 11, 2026
Contact: Sara Diedrich, diedrichs@missouri.edu
Photo courtesy of Ella Morrissey
Ella Morrissey arrived at the University of Missouri determined to make up for lost time.
After a heart transplant her senior year of high school, she was ready to say yes to the opportunities and everyday moments she missed growing up with heart disease.
“When I arrived, I fully embraced campus life,” Morrissey said. “For the first time, I felt like I was doing everything I had once held back from.”
Morrissey will graduate Friday from the College of Education and Human Development with a degree in human development and family science, with an emphasis in child life. She plans to become a child life specialist, supporting hospitalized children and their families during medical challenges, a path inspired by her own heart transplant journey.
“I’ve truly blossomed into the person I had always hoped to become,” she said. “I’ve realized I’m far more capable than I ever imagined.”
Life-changing diagnosis
Morrissey, who grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, was 10 when she was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick. There was already a history of the condition on her mother’s side, which had taken the lives of both her aunt and grandmother.
Overnight, her life changed.
“I was a tomboy, a gymnast, someone who loved being constantly in motion,” she said. “Being told I had to stop was devastating.”
Morrissey was put on medication and given a pacemaker-defibrillator that would shock her heart back into rhythm if she overexerted herself or something went wrong. By her junior year in high school, the shocks became more frequent, even from small triggers like anxiety. Her medications stopped working effectively, and she was exhausted all the time.
Eventually, Morrissey’s heart began to fail. The only solution was a heart transplant. Doctors recommended Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where the wait for a donor heart would likely be shorter.
There, she met a child life specialist who helped her through the two-month wait and the long months of recovery that followed. The support she received during that time would inspire the path she chose at Mizzou.
Less than a year later, Morrissey arrived on campus eager for a fresh start.
A new chapter
At Mizzou, she quickly immersed herself in campus life, joining a sorority, the Child Life Club and serving as an ambassador for the College of Education and Human Development. She worked in the Child Development Lab and became involved with the Pathways to Success (PAWS) program, which supports students pursuing careers in medicine.
“Mizzou became a turning point for me,” Morrissey said. “I pushed myself to get involved in ways I never had before.”
That drive carried her beyond campus. She traveled to Athens, Greece, with a study abroad program, where she taught English to refugees. During the trip, she also connected with Stephen Whitney, an associate professor of educational, school and counseling psychology, who later became a mentor.
“He became an important support system for me,” she said. “He offered guidance and encouragement, shared opportunities in my field and took a sincere interest in my journey.”
During her last semester, Morrissey completed a practicum as a child life specialist at MU Health Care. The experience has been especially meaningful to her.
“Having experienced hospitalization as a child myself, I bring a perspective that helps me connect with patients on a deeper level,” she said. “Each day in this role has reaffirmed that I’ve chosen the right career path.”
Morrissey has also expanded her social life at Mizzou, experiencing friendships uninhibited by her heart disease.
“Joining a sorority gave me the chance to build close friendships in a way I never did in high school,” she said. “The people around me got to see a version of me that no one back then ever had the chance to know. Experiences like Homecoming, going to the parade and having the energy and freedom to be with my friends might all seem small to others, but to me, they’re everything.”
The beat goes on
Last year, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Morrissey published a 90-page book titled “Ella’s New Beat.” The memoir is aimed at children, parents and medical providers and is about her experience waiting for and receiving a heart transplant. She has held readings from the book at hospitals in Columbia, St. Louis and Kansas City.
Ultimately, Morrissey would like to share her story and serve as a child life specialist at the children’s hospital in Memphis where she received her heart transplant — a goal that would bring her journey full circle. In the meantime, she’s currently interviewing for a child life post at other hospitals.
For now, she’s cherishing every moment of her second chance at the life she longed for.
"These four years at Mizzou have changed how I see the world,” she said. “I don’t take opportunities for granted, and I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the experiences and moments that others might overlook.”
