Heart To Heart With Anna

Here is another Heart Dad Sunday episode for Heart Month, February 2023. Like the other two episodes, this episode also features Heart Dad Frank Jaworski as the Guest Host. Today's Guest is Carl Wolford.Carl Wolford was born with total anomalous pulmonary venous return or TAPVR and had surgery by Dr. Denton Cooley at 4 months of age in January 1958 at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. Carl was Dr. Cooley’s second successful case of this heart defect and the first one is now Carl’s friend.Carl participated in a lifetime of sports: baseball, tennis, golf, anything with a ball and Carl was there. He even tried snow skiing–during which time he became aware of a problem with high altitudes and thin air when a person has a congenital heart condition.Carl’s biggest passion is pool. He tours mostly the southern United States in tournaments. One of his goals was to win a national championship, which happened 3 years ago in Las Vegas. His new goal is to add a state title or two to his resume.Carl has 3

Why would a pair of teen sisters be interested in working with the American Heart Association? How can these sisters make a difference? How much money do these young ladies plan to raise and how can you get involved?This is the 2nd Saturday Success Story in our Heart Month 2023 mini-series! This features two sisters who have been impacted by congenital heart defects. My Loyal Listeners will remember when I interviewed their mother, Jessica Gutierrez-Rodriguez in Season 6 (Seizing the Day with Jessica Gutierrez-Rodriguez), or in Season 10 (Discovering Hidden Talents in Our Heart Warriors); however, this is the first time for her daughters to come on the program.Marianne and Angelica attend Great Hearts Monte Vista North School and are in the 8th and 9th grades. The girls have always been very close. Marianne does recreational fencing and is part of the National Hispanic Institute Great Debate San Antonio team. Angelica loves taking piano lessons. These young ladies have been nominated for the 2023 American Hea

With congenital heart defects being the #1 birth defect around the globe, there are many people touched by this condition. At least 1% of the population is born with a heart defect. Many of them will be innocent murmurs that will close up on their own. But some people have more serious heart conditions.In this special mini-series episode for Heart Month 2023, Anna asks her Listeners to identify some famous musicians who have been touched by CHDs. So many people think that if they have a heart defect, they won't have the stamina to become great at what they love. That’s not true, my friends, and the following FOUR people are an example of how people can still excel, despite having a heart defect. Do you know who these people are? See if you can guess!Links to other shows you may enjoy:Paul CardallThe Broken Miraclehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/62761/9193481Heart Dad Sunday -- A Child’s Role in Transplant Recovery for a Heart Dadhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/62761/12186961Myles SchweitzerSeizing the Day with Myl

This is the 3rd episode in our CHD Spotlight mini-series and we'll be talking about Tetralogy of Fallot.Our expert Guest is Roslyn Rivera and she is a pediatric cardiology nurse who was also born with a congenital heart defect. In this episode, Roslyn shares with Anna what tetralogy of Fallot is, who coined the term for this complex congenital heart condition, what methods are used to palliate the condition, what some possible causes of the condition are, and survival rates for babies born with ToF.In the second segment, Roslyn even shares the name of a famous athlete born with ToF, proving that ToF doesn't have to mean that a person will have an inferior life and that there is great hope for babies born with this heart condition today.Other Heart to Heart with Anna episodes featuring Rosyln Rivera, RN:Congenital Heart Defects Around the Globe: The Novak Cardiac Alliancehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/62761/398936A View From the Other Side of the Bedhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/62761/499730Nurse Burnout in

This is another episode in our Wednesday Writer Chat mini-series of Heart to Heart with Anna for Heart Month, February 2023.We’ll start today’s program by learning a bit about Maggie and her daughter’s health condition in Segment 1. In the second segment, we’ll talk about how Maggie came to write her book for the CHD community and in the final segment we’ll get some advice from Maggie and learn what her plans are for the future.Maggie Schmeider is an author and a self-proclaimed dabbler! She loves learning and when she finds something she loves, she pours her heart and soul into making that something little into something big. Her first book was A Very Divvy Day which captures her love for animals, whimsy, and words. Maggie is married to Derek and together they have two daughters–Ebby and Wynnie, dogs Dottie and Archie, and a pet hamster named Divvy! Maggie’s second daughter, Wynnie, has had a chronic heart condition which seems to be under better control now, but we’ll learn more about that in the first segm

What are some special considerations that need to be made for the mental health of someone born with a cardiac condition? Why should there be a book specifically for understanding the mental and emotional development of people born with critical congenital heart conditions requiring multiple open-heart surgeries?  What makes counselors, born with congenital cardiac conditions themselves, the perfect people to write such a book?Tracy Livecchi received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. She has worked in a variety of settings as a private therapist, a clinical director, as well as a consultant for long-term care in hospital settings. She has been working as a psychotherapist in private practice since 1998, and currently provides psychotherapy to individual adults, adolescents, and couples in her Westport practice. She works from an eclectic theoretical orientation and provides supportive counseling while also utilizing cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, and trauma-informed, mindfulne

This is the second episode in our Heart Month 2023 Medical Monday series. In last week's Wednesday Writer Chat, Anna talked to author Richard Schwindt about his life and he was born in the 1950s with a congenital heart condition. He informed Anna that monkey lungs helped to keep him alive through one of his surgeries. Curious about what procedure would utilize monkey lungs, Anna did some research and found an article in the December 2021 journal Perfusion Theory and she shared it with her husband, who is a certified, registered nurse anesthetist. He also looked deeper on the Internet to see what he could find out about this curious time in congenital heart disease history.This episode not only reveals what Frank and Anna discovered online but some personal anecdotes from Frank about working in the operating room, as well as some interesting facts about Dr. William Thornton Mustard. Links mentioned in this episode:Dr, Mustard’s Macabre Monkey Machine by Gary Grist and Kelly Hedlundhttps://perfusiontheory.

Why would a heart dad decide to host a podcast? Why would he write a book for the congenital heart defect community? What has this dad learned from having a child with a heart defect? Tom and Kat Hansen are parents to Audrey and Harding. In 2014, Harding was diagnosed with multiple congenital heart defects in utero, for which he has undergone three open-heart surgeries and multiple other procedures. Inspired by their journey with Harding, Tom and his wife wrote a book and then they started a podcast, The Hope and Courage Podcast for CHD Parents, where they share their insights and interview experts and people with a lived experience of CHD. Their book Hope and Courage: Real-Life Lessons from the Parents of a Child with Congenital Heart Disease was released in 2022. A former high school math teacher, Tom is currently a corporate trainer and instructional designer. Tom’s family lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and they enjoy going on adventures together.Links for more information about Tom and Kat Hansen:Their website

How safe is it for a woman born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome to get pregnant and carry a baby to term? What considerations need to be made when Heart Warriors with complex CHDs decide to get pregnant? What advice does a Heart Warrior Mom have for others considering having a baby?Katelynn Scoggins was born with a critical congenital heart defect known as hypoplastic right heart syndrome. Unlike many people born with HRHS, she has not had the Fontan Procedure. She has done very well medically. Katie was homeschooled and she and I have known each other forever! She is a Texan, and she was an intern with Hearts Unite the Globe for a while and I even got her to attend Toastmasters meetings with me in Gatesville. We also worked together with the Texas Chapter of the Children's Heart Foundation. Katie and Christopher Scoggins were married in May 2018. They welcomed their son, Isaiah, into the world in December 2019. She’s coming on the show today to tell us about her journey to parenthood. Just a quick

With congenital heart defects being the #1 birth defect around the globe, there are many people touched by this condition. At least 1% of the population is born with a heart defect. Many of them will be innocent murmurs that will close up on their own. But some people have more serious heart conditions.In this special mini-series episode for Heart Month 2023, Anna asks her Listeners to identify some famous athletes who have been touched by CHDs. So many people think that if they have a heart defect, they can’t participate at an exceptional level in sports. That’s not true, my friends, and the following THREE people are an example of how people can still excel, despite having a heart defect. Do you know who these people are? See if you can guess!Just a quick shout-out to all of the amazing supporters who like, share, and comment on our program via Facebook and Instagram. Thank you all!Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound CollectiveSocial Media Pages:Apple PodcastsFacebookInstagr

In our second CHD Spotlight episode, we'll discuss holes in the heart—atrial septal defects (ASDs), ventricular septal defects (VSDs) and more!Today's CHD Spotlight is on the most common type of heart defect commonly referred to as "holes in the heart." This episode features Dr. William Novick—an internationally-known cardiothoracic surgeon and the head of the Novick Cardiac Alliance, a nonprofit organization providing life-saving heart surgeries to children around the world.In this episode, Dr. Novick shares the names of some specific congenital heart defects (they are commonly referred to as "holes in the heart") and the treatment used to help people born with these heart defects survive and thrive.  He also discusses some heart defects which commonly have a hole in their heart, as well.Former appearances by Dr. Novick on "Heart to Heart with Anna”Healing the Hearts of Croatia, Libya, Ecuador and Beyond: https://www.buzzsprout.com/62761/902730-healing-the-hearts-of-croatia

Are congenital heart defects hereditary? How might someone born with a hole in his heart choose to live his life? Why might a social worker choose to write a book to help the congenital heart defect community?This is our 2nd Wednesday Writer Chat--a special mini-series during Heart Month, February 2023.Today’s show is "Social Worker, Heart Warrior Author" and our Guest is Richard Schwindt. We’ll start today’s program by learning a bit about Richard and his family in Segment 1. In the second segment, we’ll talk about how Richard’s book and in the final segment we’ll talk about how CHDs have affected another generation of his family, what that has meant to him, and advice for others in the same situation.Richard Schwindt is married and has two children and two grandchildren. For the last 40 years, Richard has worked as a social worker, psychotherapist, and hypnotherapist. He has written 25 books, both fiction and nonfiction. For the congenital heart defect (or CHD) community, one book is especially pe

Is it possible to have a baby if you are a woman who was born with HLHS? What problems can occur when a person with a single ventricle heart becomes pregnant? What advice would a Heart Warrior offer others trying to have a baby? Meghan Roswick-Didier is 30 years old and was diagnosed with HLHS at 7 days of age. She had four open-heart surgeries at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia including the Norwood at nine days old, the hemi-Fontan at seven months old, the Fontan at 13 months old and a surgery to open her ASD at two-and-a-half-years old. Her doctors encouraged her to set her own limits which she did. She enjoyed gymnastics and sports in high school and never let anything hold her back. In her early 20s she suffered a devastating stroke and took a year to recover. Meg has studied Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati, coaches gymnastics and advocates for better patient care for adults with congenital heart defects. In 2022 she embarked on her biggest journey yet, as she and husband Dustin

Is it possible there could actually be a cure for congenital heart defects? If so, what might that cure look like? Who would be responsible for creating such a cure?Welcome to our first Medical Monday mini-series for Heart Month 2023. In this episode, you'll revisit HeartWorks, a very special company that is changing the face of treatment for those born with single ventricle hearts, especially hypoplastic left heart syndrome.Dr. Timothy Nelson is the director of the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for HLHS at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Nelson’s research work is focused on cardiovascular regeneration using bioengineered stem cells to improve the ability to discover, diagnose, and ultimately treat mechanisms of degenerative diseases. As director of the program, Dr. Nelson and his team are specifically interested in the cause of HLHS and finding ways to delay and prevent heart failure for individuals with HLHS. To better understand and treat this congenital heart disease, the program has taken a multifaceted appr

How can a child help her father recover from heart transplant surgery? How important is it for parents to allow their children to be part of the recovery process? What advice does a heart transplant recipient have for others facing being listed for transplant when they are the parents of a young child?This is the first Heart Dad Sunday episode for February 2023 and Frank Jaworski is our Guest Host. Paul Cardall was born in 1973 with only half a heart. He had his first surgery a few hours after birth and two more surgeries at age 13 and 14. As a child, he took piano lessons, but wasn’t keen on practice. As a teenager, he started composing and became obsessed. He was hired to play at weddings, in restaurants and department stores. In 1994, author Richard Paul Evans invited him to compose a musical adaptation of his Number 1 New York Times best-selling novel The Christmas Box, which helped launch Paul’s professional career. In 1999, Paul founded Stone Angel Music, where he released his albums independently. His

Annie Ulchak was born in Lima, Peru in 1979 with nomenclature HLHS, pulmonary stenosis, double inlet right atrium, and double outlet right ventricle.  She was adopted and had the two-stage HLHS process: BT shunt at age 3 and classic Fontan at age 7 at Boston Children's Hospital. She was diagnosed with CHF and cardiac cirrhosis in 2010. In June 2014, she was diagnosed with autoimmune serositis of the peritoneum. In December 2014 and January 2015, she was diagnosed with atrial flutters and has undergone two cardiac ablations. Following her most recent health struggles, Annie developed a passion for nutrition and improved her health dramatically via an overhaul of her diet. Annie works full time as a dual executive assistant and project coordinator for a prominent Boston healthcare system. When she's not working, she can be found volunteering at Quincy Animal Shelter and for the Adult Congenital Heart Association’s Peer-to-Peer mentoring program. Annie's other Heart to Heart with Anna episodes:Liv

With congenital heart defects being the #1 birth defect around the globe, there are many people touched by this condition. At least 1% of the population is born with a heart defect. Many of them will be innocent murmurs that will close up on their own. But some people have more serious heart conditions.In this special mini-series episode for Heart Month 2023, Anna asks her Listeners to identify some famous entertainers who have been touched by CHDs. Put your thinking cap on and let's see if you can guess who these 4 Entertainers are!Just a quick shout-out to all of the amazing supporters who like, share, and comment on our program via Facebook and Instagram. Thank you all!Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound CollectiveSocial Media Pages:Apple PodcastsFacebookInstagramMeWeTwitterYouTubeWebsite

In our first CHD Spotlight episode, we'll discuss half-a-heart conditions -- hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS), and single ventricle hearts.Dr. Edward Bove is our expert guest. Dr. Bove spent most of his career as a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Michigan Health System. A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Albany Medical College, he went to the University of Michigan for his residency. He returned to U of M in 1985 and by 2012, he had performed 10,000 heart surgeries, mostly on babies. Dr. Bove is a long-time supporter of Hearts Unite the Globe and currently serves as the head of our Medical Advisory Board.In this CHD Spotlight, Dr. Bove explains what HLHS, HRHS, and single ventricle hearts are, what methods are used to treat these conditions, and how treatment for these conditions has changed over time.Former appearances by Dr. Bove on "Heart to Heart with Anna"Advancements in Treatments for HLHS Heart WarriorsLear

How can a special education teacher's training influence her writing technique when creating her first children's book? What elements of storytelling are important for young children when they are learning new concepts through books? Why did this mother of a baby with Scimitar Syndrome feel she needed to write a book to help other families like her own?Katy Green is married to her husband Scott, and together they have three children: Henry, aged 8, Lyle, aged 6, and Charlotte, aged 4. Charlotte was born with Scimitar syndrome, which consists of several congenital defects. In addition to the syndrome, she was also diagnosed with multiple other complex medical conditions and underwent six surgeries before she was 18 months old. Charlotte is yet to face heart surgery, which she will need at some time in the future. Concerned that Charlotte will be old enough to remember her heart surgery, Katy wanted to help prepare her daughter for this day and build her confidence and resilience. A former educator, s

What considerations need to be made if patients with congenital heart defects are aligned with the LGBTQ+ community?  Dr. Jake Kleinmahon attended medical school and completed his residency in pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine. He continued his training at Children's Colorado, completing fellowships in pediatric cardiology and pediatric heart transplant and advanced heart failure. In 2018 he joined the faculty at Ochsner Hospital for Children in New Orleans where he serves as the medical director of pediatric heart transplant, heart failure, and ventricular assist device programs. He has been active in multiple research efforts and societies to advance heart, lung, and transplant health outcomes, and works to improve healthcare disparities among different CHD racial groups. He was awarded Doctor of the Year by the Colorado Pediatric Congenital Heart Association in 2018. His interests include taking care of children with cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, connective tissue disorders, heart tr