Category Archives: Heart

My child advocacy journey: Working together to make a difference

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Children's Advocacy NetworkAs a cardiac nurse, I cared for patients one at a time as they went through heart surgery. My role was to educate and support the family, and keep the cardiac teams informed about patients in the surgical pathway.

In time, I wanted to be able to impact the care these patients received before, during and after their hospital stay. That’s when I took a leadership role in the heart program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. It has been very fulfilling to help steer the program with a view on our number 1 priority: our …Continue reading →

Our expertise in treating heart conditions gives kids like Oliver a chance at life

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I’ve worked as a nurse clinician at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Herma Heart Center for 4 years. I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else.

I’m proud to work at Children’s Hospital because here, I’m part of a team that is dedicated to our patients and their families. The Herma Heart Center staff is always here to support our patients and their families, whether their child has a mild heart issue that he or she will outgrow or complex problems that will require multiple heart procedures. I believe this …Continue reading →

Like you, we believe kids deserve the best

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Like all moms, I wanted only the best for my girls as they were growing up. Throughout my career as a health care provider, I tested the quality of my work by asking: would this be good enough for my kids? At Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, we’ve never settled for anything less than the best for kids — and we never will. I consider it an honor to work for …Continue reading →

Talk to your pediatrician or OB/GYN about pulse oximetry screening — it saved my son’s life

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Pulse oximetry screening saved Simon's life

Simon is now a thriving 18-month-old.

My son Simon was born in April 2011 at an area hospital. Soon after delivery I started to notice some “red flags,” like his breathing was a little fast, and at times his color did not look quite right. These red flags continued when we were discharged from the hospital, and Simon began feeding poorly and looking blue. Trying not to overreact, I took him to the pediatrician’s office where he received a pulse oximetry screening, which measures the amount of oxygen in the blood, and found he had low oxygen levels.

We were transported by ambulance to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin where Simon was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. He was …Continue reading →

Repairing tiny hearts: Why I love my job

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Brandon was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Brandon was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

As a pediatric heart surgeon, every day I ask myself the same two questions. I walk into the operating room thinking, “If this was my child, what would I want the surgeon to do?” And after spending hours repairing a tiny heart, roughly the size of a walnut, I ask myself, “If this was my child, what would I want the surgeon to tell me?”

It means so much when I can talk with families, tell them to relax and take a deep breath, because their child now has the best possible chances to grow up with a healthy heart.

One of my favorite stories is about Brandon, a 3-day-old baby who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a very serious heart condition where one side of the heart is …Continue reading →

How Project Adam saved my life

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Morgan Frain

Morgan Frain

My name is Morgan Frain, and I am 4 years old. On Jan. 7, 2012, my mom and dad took me to Lambeau Field in Green Bay for dinner and to play in the atrium. As we were getting ready to leave, my heart suddenly stopped and I fell to the ground. My dad turned me over and saw that my face was blue. He told my mom that they needed to do CPR, and told my 7-year-old sister, Hannah, to run and get help.

My mom started CPR right away, while a nice man from the Green Bay Packers security department brought my dad an …Continue reading →

Can heart surgery affect a child’s development?

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Child with congenital heart diseaseWhen children have congenital heart disease (CHD) their road to recovery involves more than recovering from heart surgery. Research shows these children have a higher risk for developmental and learning problems compared to children without CHD. One reason for this is children with some forms of CHD spend an extended amount of time in the hospital recovering during a critical time for brain …Continue reading →

Is regular exercise safe for adults with congenital heart disease?

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For many years, researchers have studied the effects of physical exercise on healthy people and those with cardiovascular disease. These studies have shown both groups benefit from being physically active by having a lower risk of heart attacks and living longer. The same benefits apply to adults with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Despite this evidence, a large number of adults with CHD are not physically active. Unfortunately for many of these adults, being inactive is a behavior learned from growing …Continue reading →

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Project ADAM celebrates 62 lives saved

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Project ADAM logoOctober is National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month. Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) announced this month that 62 lives have been saved since the program was founded in 1999.

Project ADAM is a Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin program that helps schools throughout the nation prepare for and respond to cardiac emergencies. The program was …Continue reading →

Understanding pregnancy risks for women with congenital heart disease

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A large number of women born with congenital heart disease (CHD) survive into adulthood because of advancements in surgical and medical treatments. Like many young adults, they have dreams of starting a family of their own. In general, pregnancy in women with a history of CHD is safe, but for some pregnancy may have significant risks to the mom and unborn baby.

One of the biggest concerns is the increased stress on the heart. Throughout pregnancy, …Continue reading →