valve_replacement

What is Double Outlet Right Ventricle?  What is TAPVR? How did living with congenital heart defects influence Michael McKelvey’s life growing up? What has Michael achieved in adulthood?

Michael McKelvey is 30 years old and lives with a complex congenital heart defect (CHD) called double outlet right ventricle, or DORV. He works as an internet service provider technician in Pittsburgh. Growing up, life wasn't easy for Michael. He underwent four open-heart surgeries between the ages of 9 days and 16 years and was a small, skinny, sickly kid who was always told what he couldn't do. As he grew older and began to understand his CHD, he struggled to accept his condition. Over time, this changed and he began to embrace what he could do. Today, Michael is married and lives a very active lifestyle even though he will face more surgeries in the future. He is talking to us today in the hopes that his outlook can help others.

Links to helpful sites and to materials mentioned in the show:

TAPVR: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/total-anomalous-pulmonary-venous-return/cdc-20385613#dialogId36635208

DORV: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/dorv.html#:~:text=Double%20outlet%20right%20ventricle%20(DORV)%20is%20a%20heart%20defect%20where,it%20is%20born%20with%20it.

Pulmonary artery banding: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/905353-overview

Michael’s YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NPGuIh9LmA

Michael’s poem: https://shareyourheart.live/poem-michael?fbclid=IwAR2T8vC4Fxikw0C6aiBom0MR6goKJCS2m5rEFzccX82LwTSc0VzKXnOjQNw

Tom Dahlborg's page: https://www.theheartcommunitycollection.com/thomas-dahlborg

Please visit our Social Media and Podcast pages:

Apple Podcasts

Facebook

Instagram

MeWe

Twitter

YouTube

Website

Anna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link (we both benefit if you sign up with Buzzsprout with my link - yay!) 

Anna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link

Baby Blue Sound Collective

Social Media Pages:

Apple Podcasts
Facebook
Instagram
MeWe
Twitter
YouTube
Website

What lessons can we learn from our adult Heart Warriors?

Why might a Heart Mom write a book about her life experiences dealing with CHD?

How does a Heart Mom take her personal experiences to fight for others in the hospital?

Jenny Muscatell is a licensed social worker, blogger, author, photographer, and podcaster. She earned her Bachelor’s in Mental Health and Human Services through the University of Maine.

She has over two decades of experience in the social services field, specializing in crisis intervention, health systems, and end-of-life care. Deeply passionate about her work, Jenny is regarded as a fierce advocate, earning her the Child Welfare Rising to the Challenge Award.

Jenny lives with her husband Dan, and two daughters. Her first daughter Faith was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Jenny shared her life experiences, authoring the Amazon Best Selling book, “The Journey of Faith and an Open Heart” and as a public speaker on multiple platforms.

Through faith-filled presentations, heartfelt written words, and photography, Jenny’s mission is to give voice to the vulnerable, hope to the hurting, and to make way for the unspoken to be told.

Link mentioned in this podcast:

Jenny's website

Anna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link (if you'd like to try Buzzsprout for your podcast and get a bonus gift card -- and Anna will, too!)

Links to 'Heart to Heart with Anna' Social Media and Podcast Pages:

Apple Podcasts

Facebook
Instagram
MeWe
Twitter
YouTube

Website

Anna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link

Baby Blue Sound Collective

Social Media Pages:

Apple Podcasts
Facebook
Instagram
MeWe
Twitter
YouTube
Website

Antara Mondal was born with aortic stenosis and has undergone open-heart surgery. In this episode of Heart to Heart with Anna, Antara shares what it was like growing up with a congenital heart defect (CHD), how it affected her childhood and early adulthood and why she chose to study statistics at Carnegie Mellon University. She'll also explain to Anna what field of study she plans to pursue as a post-graduate and how statistics can help doctors working in the field of pediatric cardiology.

Please take a moment to follow us on your preferred social media platforms:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-to-heart-with-anna/id1132261435?mt=2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HearttoHeartwithAnna/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPKwIU5M_YOxvtWepFR5Zw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hugpodcastnetwork/

If you enjoy this program and would like to be a Patron, please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/HeartToHeart

Anna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link

Baby Blue Sound Collective

Social Media Pages:

Apple Podcasts
Facebook
Instagram
MeWe
Twitter
YouTube
Website

Beth Greenaway has an amazing story to share with Anna in this brand new episode of Heart to Heart with Anna. Beth helps Anna kick off Season 14 of this podcast for the CHD community by sharing her CHD journey and how she most recently came to deal with a number of harrowing experiences.

As you can see by the cover photo, Beth Greenaway is a published author. She shares with Anna how she came to write a book and how it can help people, not only in the congenital heart defect (CHD) community but in other communities where they might face medical adversity.

Join us today, or at your convenience, to hear this motivational, exceptional CHD Thriver, Author and, dare we say, Philosopher?!

To purchase Beth's book, use this link: https://tinyurl.com/y4qwq76w

Please take a moment to follow us on your preferred social media platforms:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-to-heart-with-anna/id1132261435?mt=2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HearttoHeartwithAnna/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPKwIU5M_YOxvtWepFR5Zw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hugpodcastnetwork/

If you enjoy this program and would like to be a Patron, please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/HeartToHeart

Anna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link

Baby Blue Sound Collective

Social Media Pages:

Apple Podcasts
Facebook
Instagram
MeWe
Twitter
YouTube
Website

The heart is an extremely complicated organ. The muscle on one side of the heart differs from the muscle on the other side of the heart. There are valves that open and close allowing blood to travel to different parts of the heart, to the body and/or to the lungs. The heart has its own unique electrical system. There are structures inside the heart separating different chambers from one another. In babies with congenital heart defects, something goes wrong and there are a lot of places where something can go wrong.

We will discuss the noninvasive and invasive procedures doctors currently use to obtain a diagnosis for children with congenital heart defects. We’ll talk with the mother of a child with a very unique heart and how having that child has affected her. We’ll also meet a nurse who is working on developing a feeding protocol to help babies born with congenital heart defects survive when they are between surgeries.

Anna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link

Baby Blue Sound Collective

Social Media Pages:

Apple Podcasts
Facebook
Instagram
MeWe
Twitter
YouTube
Website