Connecticut Children's Blog

To solve a life-threatening heart defect, Ellis Schwartz-Mosca’s care team at Connecticut Children’s had to think big – by thinking small. On Oct. 27, Connecticut Children’s pediatric cardiac surgeons successfully implanted the world’s tiniest mechanical heart valve into Ellis’ heart. He was just 2 months old, and weighed only 7 pounds 9 ounces. Until recently, […]

A week after baby Kikiolaoluwa was born, her doctors in Nigeria found a hole in her heart. At first, they told Kiki’s parents – mom Moninuola and dad Oladapo – to wait and see if the hole closed on its own. But several months later, everything was worse. Kiki was losing weight. She was often […]

Up to three out of four kids will have a heart murmur at some point in childhood, but in most cases, it’s nothing to worry about. To explain more, Connecticut Children’s pediatric cardiologist (and American Heart Association leader!) Seth Lapuk, MD, joins the blog. 1. Most heart murmurs are normal and caused by normal blood […]

“Nothing can prepare you for the moment when you realize you will not be able to hold your newborn,” says Marisol Casado. But there it was: Just 20 weeks into pregnancy, a routine ultrasound showed an abnormality in her baby’s heart. “The second my doctor told me, my heart dropped. I could feel it in […]

Alexandra was the first baby born in Danbury Hospital, an event celebrated in the local newspaper. As she grew, there was more cause for celebration: She became a formidable athlete. Swimming was her love, but when she got to Danbury High School, they didn’t have a swim program, so Alex decided to try running. And […]

Connecticut Children’s Heart Center is with patients for life, starting from before they’re even born and continuing into adulthood. We’re also right around the corner, with six convenient locations throughout the state, and a team made up of leaders in pediatric heart care. That now includes pediatric cardiologist James Enos, MD – who joins the Growing […]

Haresh Surti may be young at heart, but at 62 years old, he is no kid. So at first, it might seem unusual that he receives heart care at Connecticut Children’s – known far and wide as the state’s only health system 100% dedicated to children. The truth is, lots of adults receive care from […]

Bethany Ty expected a problem when she was pregnant with her second daughter, Jordyn. Her older daughter had been born with a heart issue and is a patient of pediatric cardiologist Olga Toro-Salazar, MD. Care at Connecticut Children’s Heart Center begins before birth – so her pediatric cardiology team recommended screening Jordyn in utero in […]

Growing up means blazing your own trail. For the past 13 years, Connecticut Children’s has been watching Penny Ringrose do just that. Penny, who has Down syndrome, has been coming to Connecticut Children’s since the day she was born, when she was rushed to our nationally-ranked neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for a severe heart […]

One of the scariest parts of any health journey is the beginning: All you have are questions, and all you want are answers. Jennefer Aquavia and Paul Willis know that feeling. This past summer, their 10-year-old daughter, Morgan, starting having seizures – but not like any seizures they’d heard of before. The day they realized […]