Archive for heart
The brightest rainbow follows the darkest storm: Our PVS journey
Caroline is our rainbow baby, born after the loss of another child, the light and color arising after a storm passes. A rainbow baby lifts a family in desperate need of lifting. It is a beautiful thing that I hope you never experience. Caroline was born on Dec. 10, 2015. Just three months later, my ... Read More about The brightest rainbow follows the darkest storm: Our PVS journey
It’s American Heart Month: Test your knowledge of congenital heart defects
Each year, about 1 percent of all babies are born with a congenital heart defect (CHD). This makes CHDs the most common type of birth defect in the United States. But how much do you know about congenital heart defects? Test your knowledge by taking our True/False quiz. True or False? A congenital heart defect ... Read More about It’s American Heart Month: Test your knowledge of congenital heart defects
Tagged: cardiac surgery, congenital heart defect, heart, heart center
Treating vascular rings: Sisters travel more than 3,000 miles for care
Nicky Dickerhoff is no stranger to caring for children: Not only is she a neonatal nurse practitioner, but she and her husband, Jake, have eight kids themselves. “We’re experienced parents,” she laughs. So when their daughter Harper briefly stopped breathing at just 3 weeks old, Nicky was skeptical at the initial diagnosis of reflux. Repeated ... Read More about Treating vascular rings: Sisters travel more than 3,000 miles for care
Tagged: heart, heart center, heart patient, MFCC, surgery, vascular rings
Returning to sports after having COVID-19
Mikey LaCroix, age 23, competes in snowboard cross for the U.S. Snowboard Team. In late 2020, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and had mild symptoms including a low-grade fever, chills, and loss of smell and taste that lasted about two weeks. Before returning to the slopes after his illness, Mikey had to go through specific ... Read More about Returning to sports after having COVID-19
Tagged: coronavirus, heart, heart center, sports medicine
Appreciating the small things: A New York family’s journey with CHD
The Harris family of Monroe, New York, are no strangers to congenital heart disease (CHD). Eighteen-year-old Jack Jr. grew up living with CHD, but had always been active. His father, Jack Sr., had also lived an active adulthood, completely unaware of his future CHD diagnosis. When they each found themselves in need of heart surgery, ... Read More about Appreciating the small things: A New York family’s journey with CHD
Tagged: bach, cardiac surgery, congenital heart defect, heart, heart center, heart patient
Coordinated care and research for genetic cardiovascular disorders
Genetic cardiovascular disease in children sometimes comes to light in a crisis — a sudden collapse, sudden breathing difficulty, a sudden death in the family. Or it may be part of a diverse collection of symptoms, mostly having nothing to do with the heart. Sometimes it is picked up incidentally. “From an incidental ECG finding ... Read More about Coordinated care and research for genetic cardiovascular disorders
Heart strong: Two families bond over shared challenges
Four years ago, Ali Marcus walked through the door of a coffee shop in Connecticut and met the woman who would soon become her close friend, Britt Sheiber. The two were meeting at the suggestion of a mutual friend: Britt had just learned at a prenatal visit that one of her twins would be born ... Read More about Heart strong: Two families bond over shared challenges
Tagged: cardiac surgery, heart, heart center, heart patient
Unraveling the mystery of Rylan’s respiratory problems
Rylan is Destinee Davidson’s second child, but in some ways, he feels like her first. “Our older son, Bryce, has always been healthy,” she explains. “With Rylan, I feel like a first-time mom because everything is so new.” Rylan has been keeping Destinee and her husband, Bradford, on their toes since the day he was ... Read More about Unraveling the mystery of Rylan’s respiratory problems
The CAMEO tool: Capturing the complex nature of pediatric nursing
By any measure, nursing is a complex profession. On any given day, nurses must draw on a wide range of cognitive skills and clinical tools to care for their patients, and by extension, their patients’ families. As patients become increasingly complex, so do the specific proficiencies necessary to complete their jobs. Measuring the cognitive complexity ... Read More about The CAMEO tool: Capturing the complex nature of pediatric nursing
Tagged: complex care, heart, heart center, nicu, nursing
MIS-C: The tip of an iceberg? Looking at cardiac care for this rare syndrome
In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, it seemed that children were far less likely to develop serious problems from the disease than adults. Then in mid-March, hospitals started reporting an unusual inflammatory syndrome in children that seemed to be related to COVID-19, now known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). MIS-C can ... Read More about MIS-C: The tip of an iceberg? Looking at cardiac care for this rare syndrome
Tagged: cardiac research, coronavirus, heart, heart center, mis-c