Team Leah

Leah was born with double outlet right ventricular, ventricular septal defect, malposition of the great vessels, pulmonary stenosis and a nonfunctioning pulmonrary valve. She has always been a fighter and has a strong heart. At 7 wks of age she had a shunt placed in her right pulmonary artery. Then the day before her first birthday, she had her open heart surgery to correct all her defects but her pulmonary valve. Dr's said kids don't need this valve and if it had been fixed as a 1 year old she would outgrow it before  the valve wore out. At 5 years old, she had a cardiac cath to place  a stent in her left pulmonary artery. Dr's have followed her closely with a yearly EKG and echo. Every 3 years she has had a MRI. This year her MRI showed her volume index of her right ventricle to be 162. Dr's always said it would be time for her to have a pulmonary valve when this number was between 150-175. Leah is scheduled to have a cardiac cath on Aug. 25 and her open heart on Aug 26. Leah is 13 years old. She is amazing and has always compensated for her heart working extra hard.  She has such a positive outlook on life.