Zoey Ryan was born with a 7 millimeter hole in her heart — roughly the diameter of a pencil. Clinically speaking, her diagnosis of ventricular septal defect (VSD), is a fairly common one for infants, but that doesn’t reassure a new mother who’s been told her baby needs open-heart surgery. Zoey, from Beloit, was born in April […]
My newborn’s journey from open heart surgery to health
I smile whenever I watch my son, Christian, run, play or just be a normal toddler. It’s in these carefree moments that I reflect on how this energetic 2-year-old is not only my sweet, spunky and stubborn boy – he’s also my miracle. Because two years ago, he was in a fight for his life at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Remembering the peace of heart surgery 2 years later
Two years ago I spent four of the most peaceful hours of my life sitting in the surgical waiting area of Akron Children’s Hospital. To this day I am surprised each time I look back at just how at ease I felt during the time Rebekah was undergoing open heart surgery.
Our miracle – Presley thriving after being born with severe heart defects
My son, Presley, was born with congestive heart failure, VSD, and tetralogy of fallot. He had his first open heart surgery when he was 5 1/2 months old, and his second when he was 2. Dr. Grace Smith has been Presley’s cardiologist since he was 2 months old. She is great and has always been […]
Meet Dr. Grace Smith: Pediatric Cardiologist
In this year’s TV campaign, we’ve turned the camera on our doctors, so you can see how intensely they care for every child – and family – they treat. One of these doctors is Grace Smith. She’s a pediatric cardiologist at Akron Children’s Hospital and associate director of our Pediatric Arrhythmia Center. Dr. Smith fixes rapid […]
