Connecticut Children's Blog

February is Heart Month, a good time to make sure your child is getting the physical activity they need. The American Heart Association recommends children ages 6 to 17 get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Preschoolers and toddlers need even more than that. But it’s also February in […]

Upon entering a room, here are some things that 3-year-old Vondel is likely to do: take off his shoes, start running laps and pause only to coax a smile out of whoever’s in range. He’s a trickster, say parents Jade and Douglas, and a natural comedian. The Cardiology and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) teams […]

At 2 and a half years old, Lincoln is a chatterbox, a flirt and in the words of mom Jennifer, “a ham and a half.” He is also the survivor of five congenital heart defects. “They ended up like family” Lincoln’s heart defects were discovered the day after he was born, in a routine oxygen […]

“The nurses and doctors were kind and told me what to expect after my son was born. But nothing can prepare you for the moment when you first realize you will not be able to hold your newborn,” Marisol shared while sitting in a Cardiology exam room at Connecticut Children’s. From the moment Marisol confirmed […]

Olivia Belfonti wasn’t even born yet when her parents, Tricia and Arnold, knew there was trouble—serious trouble—with their baby. Tricia was 19 weeks pregnant when an ultrasound showed that Olivia’s heart had only one ventricle. Instead of the normal arrangement, where one side of the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the rest […]

For Siaana’s family, every day is a day of thanksgiving. Siaana, a sweet little girl who just turned 5, was diagnosed with a rare heart defect in November 2014, just days before the Thanksgiving holiday. Her parents, Annie and Ajay of Wethersfield, were shocked to learn that their 10-month-old daughter had a congenital heart condition […]

It was October 21, 1996, and Shari Cantor had just given birth to her fourth son, Jacob, at Hartford Hospital. At first Jacob seemed to be perfectly healthy. “I was sitting there with this beautiful baby with a perfect Apgar score,” Shari says. “But then one of the nurses came to look at him and […]

It’s been more than six years since Marina Tribuzio and her brother, Pete, were born, weighing just over 1 pound apiece. Both babies, who were born three months early on August 11, 2012, faced a host of challenges that premature newborns often face, but Marina was also diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect known […]

By Adria Giordano, Gabriella’s Mom As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, our home becomes a sea of red hearts… from cookies and decorations, to candy and card making, I tend to go a bit overboard during this time of the year. Hearts are kind of a big deal in our family. A very big deal. And […]

Shared by Kristin Muraca, CHD Survivor and patient of Connecticut Children’s Adult Congenital Heart Program In anticipation of the New York Congenital Heart Walk this weekend, Kristin shares her story and that of her “heart twin” Jennifer, who together are raising awareness and funds for Adult Congenital Heart Defects. Twins; neither identical nor fraternal, not born […]