2026 Greater Orlando Heart Walk
Meet Madeline
CHD survivor and Kids Heart Challenge advocate - Because of advances in health care, her future is full of possibility.
Madeline arrived in November 2016, but her heart journey began months earlier. During an anatomy scan, her family learned she would be born with Tetralogy of Fallot. With no family history of congenital heart defects and little knowledge of what lay ahead, the news came as a shock. Instead of a typical newborn experience, Madeline’s early weeks were shaped by specialist visits and careful cardiac monitoring.
On December 31, Madeline experienced her first “tet spell,” leading her family to spend New Year’s Eve in the PCICU at Arnold Palmer Hospital. Just days later, at only seven weeks old, Madeline underwent open heart surgery. Her strength and resilience were evident from the start, and ten days later she was able to come home.
Today, Madeline is an active, joyful child who loves soccer, karate, swimming, and playing with friends. While she will one day need a pulmonary valve replacement, support for the American Heart Association helps ensure breakthroughs that will allow kids like Madeline to keep being kids.
It only takes a few steps to save lives like Madeline.
Sign up for the Heart Walk, step out, and share your personal why.
