Connecticut Children's Blog

Since he was a little kid, John Kostal dreamed of flying. At 21 years old, he was on the verge of achieving it as part of the United States Air Force. Then he got the bad news. After years of working toward a coveted pilot’s slot, his medical exams had detected a lingering heart problem… […]

It was Xavier Crane’s first soccer game after open heart surgery — but most of the people in the stands had no clue. Neither did the opposing team. He was playing better than ever. Xavier’s mom, Beth, was another story. She’d enlisted Xavier’s sister to come with her for moral support. Every time Xavier was […]

By Donna M. Pacicca, MD and Raymond P. Lorenzoni, III, MD All parents of aspiring athletes think about their child’s safety—it’s only natural. But when events like what happened to Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin take over the headlines, we can’t help but ask questions. Why did this football player’s heart stop on the field at […]

In September 2019, Ellen and Jon Lindblom traveled to China to bring home the newest member of their family — Ayla, then a shy 6-year-old. They carried a letter from Connecticut Children’s Felice Heller, MD, urging the agency to expedite the adoption so Ayla could get immediate medical care. Not three months later, China shut […]

In 2019, a very pregnant Kristina Gisonde studied two dots on her latest ultrasound. The dots represented her baby’s kidneys, and they were different sizes – not a good sign. Her doctor recommended that, soon after birth, they see a specialist at Connecticut Children’s. Kristina and husband Matt had just moved to Fairfield County with […]

For many babies, care begins during pregnancy. If your developing baby might be at risk of a heart condition, you’ll see a fetal cardiologist. These experts use special technology called a fetal echocardiogram to detect heart problems in utero – and begin important care and planning right away. Connecticut Children’s leads pregnant women through this […]

By Shailendra Upadhyay, MD, CEPS, FHRS and Jennifer Zarrilli, MS, RD At Connecticut Children’s we focus on heart health and nutrition every day!   Dr. Shailendra Upadhyay, pediatric cardiologist and Jennifer Zarrilli, pediatric nutritionist, share five fun and educational ideas to engage the whole family in making excellent, heart-healthy choices. Want more articles like this […]

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 […]

One day last October, 15-year-old Lauren Riley was climbing the stairs to class at her West Hartford high school and felt it again: out of breath, dizzy and like she might faint. This was the third time in recent weeks she’d nearly fainted from a flight of stairs. Soon after, she started having belly pain, […]

At the age of 5, Jenna-Lee loves learning from her teachers at school and is excited to head back to the classroom this fall. She also loves dancing, playing piano and belting out her favorite songs. She can often be found helping to care for her younger brother, Indio, age 3, and engaging in spirited […]

Diana and Jarrod Perry remember sitting in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Connecticut Children’s, hearing that their newborn daughter needed open-heart surgery – and that her condition was so unique, specialists from the Divisions of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, Neonatology, General Surgery, Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery were working together to create a whole new […]