REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A heart surgeon has made a major donation to create a safe space for boys surviving childhood trauma in Redford Township, honoring the memory of a 13-year-old patient who died from heart complications.
The donation from Dr. John Dentel establishes "The Den" at MCHS Family of Services off 6 Mile Road. The recreation room serves as a safe space for the 24 boys currently living at the nonprofit facility.
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Dentel met Mikey Novak in 2021. Novak was born with congenital heart disease and lived at MCHS, a facility for boys who survived childhood abuse and trauma.
“Knowing everything he had been through and knowing his relationship with adults in general, but just knowing his kind and loving heart just drew us all in to who Mikey is and who Mikey was,” Dentel said.
Dentel first performed a valve replacement surgery on Novak, then placed him on a device to support his heart. Eventually, Dentel performed a heart transplant on the teen.
Getting to the transplant was difficult because Novak did not have a legal guardian.
“So, when we decided to give him a transplant, we weren’t sure if the state was going to allow him to get a transplant because he didn’t have a guardian. So, I actually stepped away during rounds and called my sister and I said, ‘If I adopt this kid, will you come and help me?’” Dentel said.
Novak’s biological grandmother was able to adopt him instead. However, months after the heart transplant, the 13-year-old experienced complications and did not survive.
Dentel, who is now based in Florida, never forgot about his patient in metro Detroit. MCHS Family of Services President and CEO Kevin Roach said the deep connection between the surgeon and the boy surprised him a little bit.
Dentel decided to honor Novak's memory by funding the new space at MCHS.
“He always referred to me as The Bear, to kind of overlook him, and him The Cub because he was like a son to me. So, that’s where the name came from. The Den is a place for safety. It’s a place for everyone to get energy, to transform, to unite,” Dentel said.
“At the end of the day, it’s a recreation space for our young people. For them to play games, for them to hang out, for them to have that space that they can come to and just be boys,” Roach said.
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