Heart To Heart With Anna

Send us a textSometimes our littlest heart heroes need extraordinary help in order to survive. One of the most extraordinary machines used to save our babies born with congenital heart defects is known as ECMO which stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This is a special machine that takes blood from the body, oxygenates it using an artificial lung, and pumps it back into the body using an artificial heart. ECMO is similar to a heart/lung bypass machine used in open heart surgery, but can be used for a longer time.Twenty years ago, when my son was just a baby, all of the babies I knew who were put on ECMO passed away. But like with so many types of new technology, things have changes and improved over the year. Now being put on ECMO doesn't have to be a death sentence. Today's show will feature three mothers whose children have been put on ECMO and survived. Hear about their experiences and what they feel other parents need to know on today's show. (Thanks to Dell Children's for

Send us a textIt is not uncommon for children who have undergone open-heart surgery to have some developmental delays. Are these delays severe enough for them to qualify for special services? What happens when our children with congenital heart defects have developmental issues, but they aren't delayed enough to qualify for Early Childhood or Special Education programs? What recourse do parents have? Will insurance cover the cost if the school district will not? Listen to today's show for answers to these questions and more.(Thanks to potowizard of FreeDigitalPhotos.net for the image!)Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound CollectiveSocial Media Pages:Apple PodcastsFacebookInstagramMeWeTwitterYouTubeWe

Send us a textWhat happens when you are pregnant and go in for a routine ultrasound only to discover your baby has a heart defect? How do you handle the news? What options are you given? Even though congenital heart defects are the number one birth defect, there aren't many people who talk about it and it's not a widely known fact. Today we'll talk with three mothers who have been there -- who found out in utero, not only that their babies would be born with a heart defect, but that they would be born with critical congenital heart defects requiring surgery in their first year of life. (Thanks to David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net for the beautiful photo.)Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby

Send us a textCongenital heart defects (or CHDs) are the number one birth defect and yet, this is one of the best-kept secrets! How do members of the CHD community change all of that? Our Guests today include a young woman born with a critical congenital heart defect and her mother. For over 30 years this dynamic duo have been dealing with congenital heart defects -- beating the odds and surviving at a time when most babies didn't make it. Listen today as my Guests tell us what they are doing to raise awareness of CHDs in 2015 and how you can help, too.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound CollectiveSocial Media Pages:Apple PodcastsFacebookInstagramMeWeTwitterYouTubeWebsite

Send us a textCongenital heart defects are the number one birth defect yet there are few movies depicting members of the congenital heart defect (CHD) community or CHD themes. "Silent Cries" is a movie written by the father of a child with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. What makes "Silent Cries" so touching is how it has brought the CHD community together in ways unforeseen when it was first conceptualized. One of the ways it has brought people together is by turning its key handlers from being a philanthropist in the CHD and nonprofit communities into an executive producer for this show. A new team brought with it new collaboration and a new title. Find out who this producer is, how she became involved with the movie and why "Silent Cries" need to be silenced no longer.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD commun

Send us a textWhat happens when you're born with a congenital heart defect but have the opportunity to lead a normal, healthy life until you reach adulthood but then your whole world gets upended when your heart becomes the focus of your existence? How can a person go from feeling just like everyone else to realizing her heart is special and unique and that it also needs tender, loving care? What's a person in a high-stress, corporate world position to do? If you're Christine Courtelis, it just might be to leave all of that behind and to analyze what's really important in life. It just might be the right time to take a chance and do something even more meaningful with her life. Join us today as we uncover Christine's heart defect, how and when it started to dominate her life and what she chose to do in order to make lemonade from lemons.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!

Send us a textWhen a person is born with a broken heart, parents must face a multitude of decisions -- many life-threatening and terrifying. As children age, they themselves become aware of their heart problems and face their own mortality. Many of us in the heart defect community (CHD) have faced the death of loved ones or friends. How does being a member of the CHD community take a toll on its members? What are some ways we can deal with the trauma that we must face? One way is through art therapy or music therapy. Today's show will deal with this topic and will feature Angela Loehr, the founder of HeartWire, International (http://heartwiremyheart.org) and Megan Tones.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Soun

Send us a textWhat kills 1000 people a day or one person every two minutes? What kills more people annually than breast cancer, lung cancer and HIV/AIDs combined? What is one event that kills most of the people who suffer from it, but who could possibly be saved? The answer is sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).Today's show will be about the survivor of, not one but over 140 sudden cardiac arrests, and his wife. We'll learn why he has suffered so many SCAs, even though he is a relatively young, otherwise healthy man. Lastly, we'll find out what his experience has taught him and his family and what he and his wife have established so others, like he, will be survivors.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Soun

Send us a textInfant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is not usually done for the same reasons that adults have CPR performed on them. Whereas adult CPR is very commonly performed for sudden cardiac arrest, infant CPR may need to be performed in a number of situations. Who should learn Infant CPR? Why is it important? Who is qualified to perform Infant CPR? What resources are available online to help people learn CPR? Our Guests today, Ryan and Tarah Eland, know firsthand the importance of Infant CPR. Find out why they are such strong propronents of Infant CPR that they even started their own business to help people worldwide learn how to prevent the death of an infant.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound C

Send us a textThe most common cyanotic congenital heart defect that presents in the first month after birth is transposition of the great arteries (TGA) -- dextro-TGA (d-TGA) and levo-TGA (l-TGA) or congenitally corrected TGA (also known as cc-TGA). Because cc-TGA is rarer than d-TGA, it's not often spoken about. In this episode, we'll have two adult survivors with cc-TGA talk about what it's like living with cc-TGA, how it's affected their lives and what advice they have for parents of babies with cc-TGA.The episode opens with Carol Raimondi. Carol Raimondi was born in 1975 with levo-transposition of the great arteries, pulmonary stenosis, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect (or VSD) and dextrocardia. Her first surgery at age 5, repaired her VSD and widened her pulmonary artery. Soon after that, she required a pacemaker. She has had 3 more open-heart surgeries – at ages 12, 21 and 31, and numerous pacemaker surgeries.David Franco was born on December 19, 1966. His heart defect

Send us a textChildren who are born with complex congenital heart defects and require open-heart surgery in the first year of life are more at risk for having brain injuries which will result in problems learning speech, language and academic skills. Who is most at risk? Are there certain heart defects that result in more learning problems later than others? What can parents do to help their children who have to have open-heart surgery before their first birthday? Today's Guest, will discuss these issues and more!Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound CollectiveSocial Media Pages:Apple PodcastsFacebookInstagramMeWeTwitterYouTubeWebsite

Send us a textCongenital heart defects claim far too many Heart Warriors' lives. It is a leading cause of death amongst newborns and consequently, there are a lot of bereaved parents suffering the loss of their precious babies. How does a parent survive the loss of their child for even one day, much less during the holiday season? Join us on Heart to Heart with Anna as we debunk some common myths about losing a child, gain some valuable advice from two mothers who have been there and talk about some healthy ways to handle the most devastating event a parent can ever experience -- the death of their child.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound CollectiveSocial Media Pages:Apple PodcastsFacebookInstagramMeWeT

Send us a textSo many of us parents were told that our children wouldn't survive to adulthood decades ago. It's a different world now, with most children born with congenital heart defects having better surgeries and better outcomes than ever before! But what about the transitions parents have to make? As our CHD Warriors go from being children to adults, how does our relationships change? What about medical decisions? What happens when children don't want parents making medical decisions for them? What happens when children are afraid or reluctant to make those decisions themselves? What are some healthy ways parents can make the transition from being the parent of a CHD child to a CHD adult? We'll discuss those issues with a father of an adult daughter and a mother of an adult son. If you've ever wondered if it gets any easier as our children get older, you won't want to miss this show.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit

Send us a textIt seems that most teens and young adults go through a normal period of rebellion. Some only grow out their hair (or get it cut in some trendy fashion), others get tattoos or piercings. It's common for young adults and teens to experiment with alcohol, even before they should do so legally. What happens when the person rebelling was born with a congenital heart defect? Today's show will feature two Guests who were born with critical congenital heart defects who went through a period of rebellion. They will share their stories and advice with us today.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound CollectiveSocial Media Pages:Apple PodcastsFacebookInstagramMeWeTwitterYouTubeWebsite

Send us a textIs it safe to use nontraditional medicine with babies and children who were born with congenital heart defects? Do others in the heart community use non-traditional medicine? Why would a parent consider using complementary and alternative medicine with their children born with heart defects? This episode features Carolyn Harrington, the owner of Maty's Healthy Products. Carolyn is the mother of Maty, a daughter who was born with a congenital heart defect and who has had several open-heart surgeries. Discover why Carolyn started Maty's Healthy Products and whether or not using complementary and alternative medicine might be an option for you or a loved one. The information contained in our show is not intended to-constitute comprehensive professional medical services or treatment of any kind. The CONTENT SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. Our show should be considered as an educational service only.For links mentioned in this show, check out the Heart to Hea

Send us a textHow can members of the congenital heart defect (CHD) community lobby for change in today's laws in the United States? One thing they can do is to come together as a unified group to speak to their lawmakers and request, in a collective voice, for changes to occur.This is how the Congenital Heart Futures Act came into effect. Members of the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) organized a coalition of members to storm the Hill together to request more government money being spent on those with congenital heart defects. Today's episode will feature 2 ACHA members who met with lawmakers on the Hill to discuss the future of those born with congenital heart defects.If you've ever wondered how you could take a stand a make a difference, not only for today's survivors but for all future survivors, you won't want to miss this show.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or joi

Send us a textHave you ever wondered what Eisenmenger's Syndrome is? Who gets it? What are the symptoms? How does it affect a person's body from childhood to adulthood? What changes occur with the aging survivor?Carolyn Robinson, a long-time Eisenmenger Syndrome Survivor will answer these questions and more as she details her life story of being diagnosed with this condition and surviving long enough to become a grandmother! Carolyn is a published author. She wrote an essay entitled "Leading the Troops" for The Heart of a Mother, which was an anthology of stories by women affected by congenital heart defects. Carolyn's essay was in the Mothers with Congenital Heart Defects chapter and detailed her efforts to become a mother.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart

Send us a textAs the parent of a child with a life-threatening heart defect, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the new "heart world" the family is immediately part of. On this show two mothers who have children with critical congenital heart defects (CHDs) will discuss how they became empowered members of the CHD community by tapping into ways to help others in their community. Wayverly Mouse-Evangelista will share how her love of arts and crafts enabled her to find a way to reach out to others in the CHD community. She will share what specific items she has created for the heart community and how others can find them.Susan Vanderpool will share how her situation caused her to see a need for vital information in a heartbeat. She will tell us about how she created a product to calm mothers' fears. Having a school-aged child with a major heart defect in school full-time, away from a loving parent, can be a scary prospect. Ms. Vanderpool shares how her product can relieve parents' anxiety

Send us a textOne of the most helpless feelings in the world is being told your child has a congenital heart defect, will need surgery and will have a lifetime of follow-up appointments and untold future procedures. Some parents have great difficulty dealing with this kind of stress, all parents suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome after they hand their children over to a surgeon without knowing if they'll ever see their children alive again. It takes a really special parent to survive that trauma and then to turn that angst into a vehicle to help others. Our interview with Lori M. Jones will cover her involvement as a congenital heart defect advocate and an author of a book to help others in the CHD community. Join us as we find out what inspired her to reach out to help others, what her greatest challenge was in writing her book and what new projects she has on the horizon.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com

Send us a textWhat author and public figure has had a child born with a congenital heart defect? What efforts has this person taken to spread awareness of congenital heart defects? Our special guest, Bret Baier, is working hard to promote his book about congenital heart defects with a grateful heart since his son, Paul, is a survivor. Bret Baier works for Fox News and is the host of Special Report. He will share ways he is promoting congenital heart defect awareness and what parents around the globe can do to help spread awareness, too.Thank you to everyone who has helped HUG in creating our podcasts and other resources. Visit https;//www.heartsunitetheglobe.com to donate or join us!HeartWorks: We Build HeartsHeartWorks empowers the CHD community by advancing research and finding cures for heart defects.Support the showAnna's Buzzsprout Affiliate LinkBaby Blue Sound CollectiveSocial Media Pages:Apple PodcastsFacebookInstagramMeWeTwitterYouTubeWebsite