In a heartbeat, you could be the difference.

CHDs affect nearly 1% of births in the U.S. per year, or about 40,000. I was 4 weeks old when the cardiologist told my mom I was in heart failure and would need heart surgery. I was diagnosed with having a coarctation of the aorta.

Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing of the major artery (the aorta) that carries blood to the body. This narrowing reduces blood flow to different parts of the body and can make the heart work harder. CoA can cause high blood pressure or heart damage.

In most children, the cause isn’t known. Some children can have other heart defects along with coarctation, and in my case, the CoA caused my aortic valve to develop improperly. I have what is called a bicuspid aortic valve.

CoA is associated with a heart defect known as bicuspid aortic valve, where there are two aortic valve leaflets instead of three. This condition can be seen in up to 85% of patients with CoA. Due to this defect, my valve may wear out sooner in my life than expected and I may need a valve replacement one day in the future.

I had my CoA surgically repaired on the day I turned 1 month old. I had to take blood pressure medication for about 9 months following the procedure and I will continue to see cardiology my entire life to keep a check on my bicuspid aortic valve. I may have to take blood pressure medication again someday as I get older, however, my cardiologist says I will otherwise live a normal and healthy life.

Thank you for reading my story!

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