Sofia Sanchez, heart transplant recipient visited by Drake, speaks about her experience

CHICAGO -- It was just a month ago when 11-year-old Sofia Sanchez burst onto the social media scene. While waiting for a new heart, she made a wish to see the rap star Drake. He granted that wish and, within a week, she got something even more important- a new heart.

Now she's speaking publicly for the first time.

Sofia is on a fast track to getting home. She's at the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago, the second phase of her recovery after successful heart transplant surgery.

The 11-year-old girl who received a heart transplant and got to meet Drake told her supporters Thursday that she is grateful for all of their help.

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Sofia spoke publicly for the first time about her new heart and her new friend Drake when she returned to Lurie Children's Hospital Wednesday.

It was there where Sofia waited for her new heart. By now, you probably know it was also where Sofia met Drake.

Drake and Sofia are friends now. She's even got his cellphone number and they text regularly. Sofia might just be Drake's BAE.

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Doctors are blown away by Sofia's resilience. But there are daily reminders her fight is far from over. Sofia takes 18 pills in the morning and many more throughout the day. Her mom has been her rock, there when she needed her most.

Sofia's mom says, over and over, Sofia's heart condition was misdiagnosed as asthma. She credits doctors at Lurie Children's Hospital for finally getting it right.

As for Drake, Sofia says he plans to bring her on stage one day to sing with her. But she's not giving up that cell number. Not to friends. Not to grandma. Certainly not to you and me.

At a press conference Thursday, Sofia said thank you to all of her supporters.

"It feels great to be back to myself and the way I was before I had heart failure, for the first half of my life because I like to play sports, I want to be active, but I'm still under precaution so I am taking it easy, but I am going to be able to get back to all my sports and all that," she said.