Heart To Heart With Anna

Send us a textWhat is it like to be born in Vietnam in the 1970s with a heart defect? What efforts would a mother make to ensure her daughter has a chance for life? How does understanding one’s family history impact one’s future?Amy M. Le shares an amazing story with Anna about her mother's life-changing decision to flee war-torn Vietnam to save her daughter's life by going to the United States where her daughter could have surgery. In Vietnam, there was no hospital to take care of Amy's congenital heart defect, but in the United States, she could receive open-heart surgery and a chance for a future. Amy shares the story of what lengths her mother and cousin went to in order for them to escape and start a brand new life thanks to the kindness of strangers.Amy also shares information about the book she has written based on her mother's story. If you'd like to order a copy of the book, you can do so here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snow-in-vietnam-amy-m-le/1131712030?ean=978194857

Send us a textIt's official! We are celebrating 300 episodes of "Heart to Heart with Anna"! To help us with this celebration, Alexander Jaworski, Anna's son who was born with a critical congenital heart defect, is the Guest Host and Anna is in the hot seat answering questions about the podcast which you may not be aware of.How did the longest-running podcast devoted to the congenital heart defect community come to be? Who was instrumental in helping Anna get started? How did Anna choose her Guests? Who were Anna's favorite Guests? Who made trouble for Anna? What advice does Anna have for others in the CHD community who want to start a podcast? Tune in for answers to these questions and so much more!Link mentioned in this podcast:VoiceAmericaBlogTalkRadioHearts Unite the GlobeThe Heart Collection Bookstore websiteThe SlugTribe (Alex's writer's group)Children's Heart FoundationAudacity (the editing software Anna uses)Half Heart Whole Life: An HLHS Dad's blog (Chris P

Send us a textWhat lessons can we learn from our adult Heart Warriors?Why might a Heart Mom write a book about her life experiences dealing with CHD? How does a Heart Mom take her personal experiences to fight for others in the hospital?Jenny Muscatell is a licensed social worker, blogger, author, photographer, and podcaster. She earned her Bachelor’s in Mental Health and Human Services through the University of Maine. She has over two decades of experience in the social services field, specializing in crisis intervention, health systems, and end-of-life care. Deeply passionate about her work, Jenny is regarded as a fierce advocate, earning her the Child Welfare Rising to the Challenge Award. Jenny lives with her husband Dan, and two daughters. Her first daughter Faith was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Jenny shared her life experiences, authoring the Amazon Best Selling book, “The Journey of Faith and an Open Heart” and as a public speaker on multiple platforms. Through faith-filled presentations

Send us a textWhy would the Queen of England bestow an Order of the British Empire honor upon a doctor for his services to medicine and charity - especially when the charity does not serve the children of Great Britain? How many children around the globe have been saved by this nonprofit? What is this nonprofit organization doing to save children born with the number one birth defect - congenital heart defects?Dr. Sanjiv Nichani is a Consultant Pediatrician and the current Director of the Children’s Intensive Care Unit for University Hospitals of Leicester, UK. For over 30 years, Dr. Nichani has specialized in looking after critically ill babies, children, and teenagers following open-heart surgery. In 2009 he founded the charity Healing Little Hearts. Their goal is to ensure that every child has access to the heart surgery they need and deserve. They send volunteer teams to treat the poorest of children who come from families that do not have the resources to pay for their healthcare. The charity also builds

Send us a textHow might a Heart Warrior use her adversity to become a poet? What might bring a woman to accept Jesus Christ into her life and thus change her future forever? What can we learn from this gentle spirit who has come close to death herself and lived to bring hope to others?Today’s show is Lisa Colvil: Heart Warrior Author and Poet and our Guest is Lisa Dang Colvil. We’ll start today’s program by learning a bit about Lisa, then we’ll actually hear Lisa reading her poetry and at the end of the program, we’ll talk to Lisa about the book she had published in 2019.Lisa Dang Colvil was born in Pennsylvania in 1979. A CHD warrior, she was born with double outlet right ventricle (DORV), severe subpulmonic stenosis, and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). She had her first surgery at 3 months of age in her home state, and second surgery at 6 years of age at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which was complicated by bilateral chylothorax. As a child, she felt different from others and did not fully unde

Send us a textHow can a couple survive the loss of their precious son? What can be done when an entire country seems to be neglecting the needs of its most vulnerable residents? How can people make a difference in their community?Today's Guest, Jyoti Sagar, answers those questions and so much more!Jyoti Sagar and his wife Prema lost their son Sameer, who was born on December 20, 1983, to a congenital heart defect over 30 years ago.  Devastated by the loss of their son, after some time they began working at Missionaries of Charity. It gave them a whole new meaning to life, and this is how their journey started as they felt they could reach out and assist in the best way possible - enriching the lives of others and their own. Since then, they have dedicated their lives and professions to saving the lives of critically ill children in India through their non-government organization (NGO) – Genesis Foundation. The main aim of the Foundation is to offer support to children with CHD from families where the mon

Send us a textIn this touching episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna," grandmother Beverly Foster shares with Anna her heart journey with her grandson, Heart Warrior Dhillon. From diagnosis through today, Dhillon's spirit remains steadfast and everyone knows exactly what he would want them to do. Thus, Beverly and her family felt the need to create a special legacy in Dhillon's name. The result? Dhillon's Gift.Links mentioned in the program:UNC's webpage about Dhillon's GiftDhillon's Heart Journey CHOP Pediatric Cardiology Center CHOP Single Ventricle ProgramVictory Junction Summer CampThe Gift of Life HouseTo contact Beverly, use Bev_Foster@unc.eduAnother "Heart to Heart with Anna" episode dealing with transplantation and protein-losing enteropathyAnother "Heart to Heart with Anna" dealing with protein-losing enteropathyAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link (if you'd like to try Buzzsprout for your podcast and get a bonus gift card -- and Anna w

Send us a textHow can a child with a complex congenital heart defect survive multiple surgeries resulting in a funky anatomy and then have a successful heart transplant experience? What was it like to be a child with a congenital heart defect in the 1970s when open-heart surgery for children was something new? Why would a Heart Warrior experience Survivor's Guilt?Leslie Castro is a 47-year-old former single ventricle patient from Pennsylvania. She was born with tricuspid atresia, pulmonary stenosis, and multiple other heart defects, and had the Classic Fontan at the age of 12 in 1985. Just over a year ago, she received a heart transplant. Her donor was a 29-year-old woman who was a Hepatitis C positive intravenous drug user, and Leslie had to take a case study drug to avoid contracting the virus. Leslie had a very bumpy road to recovery with multiple complications involving her brain, heart, and lungs, and required procedures after the transplant to alleviate a brain bleed and drain fluid from her lungs.

Send us a textWhat is plastic bronchitis? What are the red flags that lead to a diagnosis of plastic bronchitis and how is it diagnosed? More importantly, what can be done about it? Today’s guest will answer those questions for us and more!Molly Fee is a mom of two boys and lives SE of Pittsburg. Her 9-year-old younger son, Marshall, was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or HLHS. Marshall had his Fontan Procedure at age 4, and also has a repaired tricuspid valve. About 18 months ago, Marshall was diagnosed with a rare complication associated with complex congenital heart defects, called “plastic bronchitis.”  In today’s program, we’re going to learn what plastic bronchitis is, how one American family has dealt with this condition, and what advice they have for others living with plastic bronchitis.Link mentioned in this podcast:CHOP Lymphatic System page: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/jill-and-mark-fishman-center-lymphatic-disordersAnna Buzzsprout Affiliate Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?re

Send us a textNino Barbalace es il conduttore della versione in Italiano del Programma di "Cuore a cuore con Anna."La puntata di oggi è intitolata “L’Arte di Riparare il Cuore”, e la nostra ospite è Gabriella Ricciardi. Inizieremo la puntata di oggi conoscendo meglio Gabriella ed il suo costante amore per l’arte nella Prima Parte. Nella Seconda Parte, parleremo del percorso che ha Gabriella ha intrapreso per diventare un Cardiochirurgo Pediatrico e, nella Parte Finale, parleremo di come il suo talento artistico abbia contribuito alla sua pratica chirurgica.Links to 'Heart to Heart with Anna' Social Media and Podcast Pages:Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-to-heart-with-anna/id1132261435?mt=2MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/annajaworskiFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/HearttoHeartwithAnna/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hearttoheartwithanna/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnaJaworskiYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPKwIU5M_YOxvtWepFR5ZwInstagram: https://www.

Send us a textWhat kind of career field can a woman passionate about art and science enter into to satisfy both of her needs to be creative? What attracted Gabriella Ricciardi to the field of cardiothoracic surgery for tiny broken hearts? Exactly how can artistic talents be of value to a surgeon of babies with broken hearts?Today’s show is 'The Art of Repairing the Heart' and our Guest is Gabriella Ricciardi. Gabriella Ricciardi is an artist and cardiothoracic surgeon from Torre Annunziata, Italy. She has just completed her internship as a Resident Fellow in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at LUMC in Leiden, the Netherlands. Gabriella uses art in her work and has recently had some of her anatomical drawings accepted for publication in the "World Journal for Paediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery." Today, she will be talking with us about the relationship between art and science, and how her drawings help her in the fascinating and complicated world of pediatric cardiac surgery.Anna Buzzsprout A

Send us a textDo Heart Moms who have babies with heart defects have an easier time of things? Why would a Heart Mom write a book? What might entice a Heart Mom to start a podcast? Answers to these questions and more are in this week's episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna."Nicole Groenewald is a Heart Mom to Henry who has HLHS. At the time that Nicole found out about Henry's diagnosis, she felt like she might never be happy again. Her husband had been ill, and the Groenwalds had already filed for bankruptcy due to mounting medical bills. Then one day, she read that babies can feel their mother's emotions before they're born. This set her on a path of changing her emotions and choosing joy. At first, she started with simple things like music and self-care. As her challenges grew in life, she became more determined to pursue a joyful life. Today, she works to inspire and encourage others to pursue joy with intentionality, and has started a website and podcast called "Moms of He

Send us a textWhat is the situation like for people with congenital heart defects in India? What happens to our Heart Warriors as they grow up? What does the Heart Community need to do in order to have a sense of justice for those born with broken hearts?Sajani Nair lives in Calicut, India, and is the mother of Yadhu Krishna, a young man living with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA). Since he was diagnosed, Sajani and her family faced an uphill battle for her son as they struggled to find care. At three and a half years of age, he had a pulmonary artery banding procedure at Narayana Health in Bangalore. He currently needs the arterial switch procedure. Obtaining medical care is difficult in India, as there is no insurance for congenital conditions, forcing families to rely on private hospitals. To help other families affected by CHD, Sajani started a support group in India and a letter-writing campaign to urge the health minister in the central government to address CHD. Her e

Send us a textWhat is it like to be an adult with a congenital heart defect whose heart has given out? What does a typical journey on the road to transplant like? Does it look anything like what we see portrayed on television or in movies?Lorrie Hill grew up in Texas, mostly Houston and Dallas. She was born with a single ventricle heart and has had three open-heart surgeries in her 24 years, including a pulmonary artery band and bidirectional Glenn shunt. She was listed for a heart transplant on February 24th, 2020. Since then, she graduated with honors from her undergraduate university and moved to Houston to be closer to Texas Children's Hospital where she will receive her transplant. She has even begun her Master of Public Health epidemiology graduate program. She talks to Anna about life now and her hope of receiving a new heart. This is a follow-up episode to the one Lorrie did in March 2020. There is also a transcript of the program available.Here are the links to the websites Lorrie mentioned in t

Send us a textDo you have a child with tetralogy of Fallot (ToF)? Do you wonder what that child's life might be like? Do you ever worry about how you will help your child move beyond childhood into adulthood where your child will be in charge of his/her own healthcare?Deborah Meisten and her husband are the parents of a baby who was born with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Deborah and her husband are in healthcare. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner and her husband is a pediatrician. Their son is now 16 years old. The family is preparing for the future to empower their son to transition to age-appropriate health care responsibilities.In this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna," Deborah shares with Anna what her heart journey has been like, some advice she's gained along the way, and ways she, her husband, and her son's cardiologist have worked to help him transition from cardiac care as a child to transferring that care onto him.Links to 'Heart to Heart with Anna' Social Me

Send us a textFor decades the medical profession was engrossed in finding a way to help babies born with congenital heart defects to survive infancy and early childhood. It seemed relatively rare for babies born with complex congenital heart defects to become adults. Now there are more adults alive with congenital heart defects than infants being born with such birth defects. Therefore, a great deal of the focus of the medical field has shifted from that of "survival" to "quality of life." How can those in the medical field help Heart Warriors have a great quality of life? What resources are available for Heart Warriors? What role does anxiety and depression play in the world of a Heart Warrior? Is it common for adult Heart Warriors to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder? If so, who can help them? Today's Guest is Adrienne Kovacs, Ph.D. She works at the Knight Cardiovascular Institute at Oregon Health & Science University where she established and is the director of the Beh

Send us a textLoyal Listeners of "Heart to Heart with Anna" will remember Keith Flynn from 2019 when he came on the show to talk about his need for a heart and liver transplant. He graciously agreed to periodically return to let everyone know what it's like to be on the list waiting for organs and to share his experience with us.It's been about a year since we heard from Keith. In this episode, he shares with Anna what has transpired in the last year -- which has most notably been complicated by COVID-19. He talks about his chances of getting a liver and a heart in these difficult times and how his treatment plan has been affected by the pandemic.Keith also shares with Anna what he has learned about financial support for people needing a transplant. He shares helpful advice for others who might need an organ transplant and even shares what he and his family have done for the last year to optimize his quality of life.Here is a link to Keith's Transplant Journey Facebook pageHere is a l

Send us a textWhy did the statuses for being listed for a heart transplant change in 2018? Why would someone born with a congenital heart defect need a transplant and how do they compare to adults born with healthy hearts who suddenly need a heart transplant regarding where they would fall on "the list"? What are some of the devices used as a bridge to transplant? How do those devices play into the new criteria for heart transplantation? Dr. Ali Zaidi answers these questions and more in this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna."Dr. Ali N. Zaidi is an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Specialist. He is one of only a few selected cardiologists’ in the U.S. who is board certified in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Pediatric Cardiology, Adult Cardiovascular Disease, Adult Echocardiography, and Adult Congenital Heart Disease. Dr. Zaidi heads the Mount Sinai Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center in NYC. For more information about the change in status in 2018 and for answers to more questions regard

Send us a textWhat was it like to be born in 1965 with a severe congenital heart defect in Venezuela? What kind of care was available there? What was a parent to do?Tune in to this week's episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna" to hear Belen Blanton talk with Anna about her heart journey, how she made it to the USA, and why she has started a nonprofit organization to help children with congenital heart defects in her native country - Venezuela.Here is the foundation Belen has started for children with CHDs in Venezuela on Facebook:@Fundacion Estrellita de Belenand on the Internet:  www.fundacionestrellitadebelen.orgFind Belen on Instagram:@youdonthavetolooksickLinks to 'Heart to Heart with Anna' Social Media and Podcast Pages:Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-to-heart-with-anna/id1132261435?mt=2)Facebook  (https://www.facebook.com/HearttoHeartwithAnna/)YouTube  (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPKwIU5M_YOxvtWepFR5Zw)Instagram  (https://www.instagram.com/hugpodc

Send us a textDo you know how many children are born every single year around the world with the most common birth defect? What percentage of children born with this condition actually live in a country where appropriate care is available? What are non-government organizations (NGOs) doing to bridge the gap between in care for these most vulnerable people?Tune in to this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna" to meet Bistra Zheleva - an advocate for children born in low-resource countries who need live-saving surgeries for their congenital heart defects. Bistra has a wealth of information about what CHDs look like worldwide, what problems people in countries like Malaysia, Brazil, China, Vietnam, and India face on a daily basis, what organizations have come together to assist people worldwide, and how even a common person with no medical training can still be part of a world-wise voice for the CHD community.Non-government organizations (NGOs) and 501(c)(3)s mentioned in this episode:Children's H