A healthy boy goes from celebrating his 16^th birthday to suddenly needing a heart transplant. And it was all caused by a rare reaction to a common childhood virus that usually only results in a mild rash.

Watch: Braxton Wohlferd's story

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (3:19) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Wetting a line and catching fish is just one of the many passions of young teen Braxton Wohlferd.

"Whatever they like to bite is what I like to throw," Braxton says. "I just like the aspect of being outdoors and just hanging out with people and having fun."

But earlier this year, this healthy, athletic high schooler from St. Charles, Minnesota, had his world turned upside down in a flash.

"He called frantically," says Melissa Wohlferd, Braxton's mother.

It was the morning after his 16^th birthday. Braxton thought he had the stomach flu. He was vomiting. Suddenly, it got much worse.

"I was like, 'You need to get home. Something's not right,'" Braxton says.

His mom, Melissa, a registered nurse, arrived moments later. "And he was lying on the floor, and his hands and feet were mottling," she says.

"My hands were turning, like, blue, almost. And then we tried to come upstairs, and I collapsed on the third stair," Braxton says.

"He said, 'Mom, I just can't do it. I can't catch my breath. My chest hurts,'" Melissa says.

Braxton was rushed to the Emergency Department at Mayo Clinic. Not long after he arrived, he went into cardiac arrest. Life-saving CPR was performed until Braxton was put on a life support machine.

"I believe it was 22 minutes, full chest compressions. His heart never beat again," Melissa says.

But why?

"Completely healthy and then, within a blink of an eye, he's hooked up to every machine possible, keeping him alive," Melissa says.

Doctors at Mayo soon solved the mystery — a common childhood illness called parvovirus B19, also known as fifth disease.

"The majority of people who get parvovirus may not even know that they've had it," says Dr. Rebecca Ameduri, medical director of the Pediatric Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Program at Mayo Clinic. "Most people, when they get parvovirus, will just have kind of common cold effects and will not have severe side effects like Braxton did."

Braxton's body had an extremely rare reaction to the virus causing his own immune system to attack and break down his heart muscle. "They said it was more likely to get struck by lightning," Melissa says.

"Sometimes, in cases like Braxton, it's what we call fulminant myocarditis, where it happens very rapidly, where those children can deteriorate in less than 24 hours," says Dr. Ameduri.

Braxton's only option was a heart transplant. "It was just so scary," Melissa says.

In less than a week, a miracle occurs. A donor heart arrives. "It was a perfect match for Braxton," Melissa says.

And a heart transplant performed by Mayo Clinic surgeons is a success. "It's kind of surreal to think that I'm still here," Braxton says.

"Without that organ donor, Braxton would not be here," Melissa says.

"Thank you doesn't even cover what I'd like to say. It's unbelievable. It's a selfless act that they give their organs away," Braxton says.

The virus also affected Braxton's legs, causing a condition known as compartment syndrome, which required emergency surgery to remove some of his leg muscles.

"I feel great. Feel like I'm getting my strength back, and I'm gonna keep working at it and plan on keep getting stronger," Braxton says.

Braxton hopes to be back playing baseball next year and planning plenty of future fishing trips.

"I don't know how many other people would have went through this and survived," Braxton says. "They said I was very lucky, I'm a miracle. And I feel like I'm a miracle."

Related stories:

• Mayo Clinic expert explains parvovirus B19, a common childhood infection
• Mayo Clinic Minute: What is myocarditis?

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