New Heart 'Feels Different, But In A Good Way,' 11-Year-Old Says

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — The suburban Chicago girl who received a heart transplant after dancing her way into a meeting with Drake says she's feeling great.

Sofia Sanchez met with reporters on Thursday , three-and-a-half weeks after she received a new heart during a nine-hour operation at Lurie Children's Hospital. The 11-year-old says her new heart "feels different, but in a good way."

Last month, the Canadian rapper surprised Sofia with a visit after seeing a video of her dancing in a hospital hallway to one of his songswhile tethered to her IV pump. That was a week before her surgery.

Sofia says Drake's advice to stay strong and keep fighting has helped her through some tough times.

A heart surgeon calls Sofia a star patient and says her recovery is going quite well.

Photos: Heart transplant recipient Sofia Sanchez, talks with reporters at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Chicago. At left is Dr. Carl Backer, one of her surgeons at Lurie Children's Hospital. At right is her mother, Natalie Sanchez./Dr. Osama Eltayeb, a cardiovascular surgeon who operated on heart transplant patient Sofia Sanchez at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, holds an X-ray of Sofia's new heart at a news conference, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)