6-year-old Coffee County girl heads to Atlanta for open-heart surgery

COFFEE COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) — A 6-year-old Coffee County girl is set to undergo open-heart surgery at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta on July 15, and her grandmother is asking the community for prayers and support.

Kamiyah Floyd, who is preparing to enter the first grade, was born with a heart condition that doctors in Macon initially believed was a heart murmur she would outgrow. She never did.

Symptoms led family to seek second opinion

Kamiyah’s grandmother, Geneva Tillman, said she noticed Kamiyah would disappear from play and be found asleep, even while playing with other children.

“When she play out with like four or five kids, I look in the crowd, and she missing,” Tillman said. “I come in—she done passed, done went to sleep.”

Tillman said she sought two doctors’ opinions before moving forward. A children’s doctor in Waycross performed X-rays and testing and showed Tillman a diagram indicating the top valves of Kamiyah’s heart had not closed. Doctors told Tillman surgery was needed to close those valves. The condition has also affected Kamiyah’s weight, eating habits, sleep and ability to play.

‘We’re going to walk this road together’

Tillman said she and Kamiyah left for Atlanta on the day of their interview with WALB. She said they were required to arrive at 7 a.m. for a pre-surgery orientation before the July 15 procedure.

“No matter what we face, we’re going to walk this road together,” Tillman said. “You’re not going through nothing that I’m not going to go through with you.”

At 6 years old, Kamiyah said she plans to go to a water park and Chuck E. Cheese when she gets out of the hospital.

Tillman took Kamiyah in to help the girl’s mother, who was managing several children at the time. Tillman said she also previously cared for a grandson who was on a ventilator.

Community support welcomed

Tillman said community members have already offered support and that she is accepting donations, stuffed animals and prayer.

“At this point, I’m really asking for prayers,” Tillman said. “I’m asking every prayer warrior that I got to pray for me and my baby with this undergoing surgery.”

Those who cannot reach Tillman directly can contact Ms. Joanne Light at Dusty Diamonds, located across from Mickey’s Grocery Store in the area.

Donations can be sent via Cash App to $genevatillman1.

WALB’s Taylor Lewis will have more in our later newscasts.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, Instagram and X. For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.