Heart to Heart with Anna artwork

Heart to Heart with Anna

451 episodes - English - Latest episode: 26 days ago - ★★★★ - 13 ratings

Revitalize your spirit and connect with the vibrant congenital heart defect (CHD) community through 'Heart to Heart with Anna,' the pioneering podcast that has been inspiring and informing listeners since 11-12-13. Join us as we dive deep into the personal journeys, triumphs, and challenges of Survivors, their loved ones, esteemed medical professionals, and other remarkable individuals within the CHD community.

With unwavering dedication, our heartfelt conversations bring to light the stories that need to be heard. Gain invaluable insights, expert advice, and a sense of empowerment as we explore the multifaceted world of CHD. Our mission is to uplift, educate, and enrich the lives of every member of this incredible community.

Embark on a transformative listening experience where compassion and understanding thrive. Discover the resilience and unwavering spirit that reside within each person touched by CHD. Together, let's build a community where support and knowledge flourish, bringing hope to the forefront.

Tune in to 'Heart to Heart with Anna' and embark on a remarkable journey that will leave you inspired, enlightened, and connected to the beating heart of the CHD community.

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Episodes

From Educator to Heart Mom to Author

February 01, 2023 17:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MB

How can a special education teacher's training influence her writing technique when creating her first children's book? What elements of storytelling are important for young children when they are learning new concepts through books? Why did this mother of a baby with Scimitar Syndrome feel she needed to write a book to help other families like her own? Katy Green is married to her husband Scott, and together they have three children: Henry, aged 8, Lyle, aged 6, and Charlotte, aged 4. Char...

LGBTQ+ and the CHD Community

January 03, 2023 17:00 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MB

What considerations need to be made if patients with congenital heart defects are aligned with the LGBTQ+ community?   Dr. Jake Kleinmahon attended medical school and completed his residency in pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine. He continued his training at Children's Colorado, completing fellowships in pediatric cardiology and pediatric heart transplant and advanced heart failure.  In 2018 he joined the faculty at Ochsner Hospital for Children in New Orleans where he serv...

Spending the Holidays in the Hospital

December 20, 2022 17:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB

How do you enjoy the holidays when your heart warrior is in the hospital during the holiday season? What can you do, as a parent, grandparent, or friend, when a child is in the hospital during the holidays? Why is it especially difficult to have a child in the hospital during the holidays? We’ll answer these questions and more in this episode which features Jenny Muscatell and Lauren Backe. These heart moms have both faced plenty of hospital time and they have some advice and experiences to...

Technology Advancements in the CHD Field: Project A.D.A.M

November 29, 2022 17:00 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MB

Gwen Fosse is a Clinical Outreach Specialist at U of MI Congenital Heart Centre at Mott Children's Hospital. She has almost 50 years of experience working with patients affected by CHD and their families. In this episode, Gwen Fosse, RN shares about what SCA is, who is affected, what Project A.D.A.M. is, and what people can do to be #READY to help someone who might have an SCA.  Gwen’s Links: Project ADAM – ·       National: https://tinyurl.com/3bh5hpxc ·       Michigan: https://tinyurl....

Jake Ryan and Dear Franklin: A Book for Kids with Heart Warrior Parents

November 22, 2022 17:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MB

Who is Jake Ryan and why did he write a book? What happens when it’s the parent who is the Heart Warrior? How do you prepare your children for your heart surgery? Jake Ryan was a busy father of three-and-a-half-year-old twins - a son and daughter - when his life changed forever. He collapsed during a routine workout one day at the gym. Fortunately, he was rushed to the hospital where he was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and a faulty mitral valve. After his surgery, he worried that he wo...

The Gift of Life - Twice!

November 15, 2022 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MB

How is it possible an organ donor might actually be responsible for two lives, even when giving a heart to a man? What was life like for Nick May years after his heart transplant? Did Nick May have a similar experience as his siblings growing up, considering he had a heart transplant as an infant?  Susan May is mom to Nick, 33, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries, coarctation of the aorta, and a septal defect.  He had three surgeries at 5 d...

When You Wish Upon a Star and Your Wishes Come True

November 09, 2022 05:00 - 40 minutes - 28.2 MB

Baby Hearts Press People's Choice Award Winners, Dr. Brandon Lane Phillips and Jeremy Miller, return to "Heart to Heart with Anna' with an update on how their award-winning book is doing and all of the exciting news surrounding the book. Why would a cardiologist choose to write his life story about growing up with tetralogy of Fallot? How did his life intersect with his favorite childhood actor from the 1980s TV sitcom "Growing Pains"? What new project are these gentlemen working on? You'll...

Dr. John Calhoon on Doctor Burnout in the CHD Community

November 01, 2022 16:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MB

What are warning signs a doctor may be experiencing doctor burnout? How are some nonprofits affected by doctor burnout? What can members of the CHD community do to try to reduce doctor burnout?  Today's program is 'Dr. John Calhoon on Doctor Burnout in the CHD Community' and our Guest is Dr. John Calhoon. Dr. Calhoon is both a congenital and adult cardiac surgeon and was my Heart Warrior’s surgeon. He also wrote the Foreword for my first book: “Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: A Parent’s H...

Addiction and Congenital Heart Defects

October 26, 2022 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.8 MB

What are some of the dangers of addiction when you have a Fontan heart? How does a Heart Warrior who has addiction problems break free from the addiction? What new project is Joe Flowers embarking upon in 2023? Today’s show is Addiction and Congenital Heart Defects and our Guest is Joe Flowers. We’ll start today’s program by learning a bit about Joe in Segment 1. In the second segment, we’re going to talk about complications that Joe has had and in the third segment, we’ll discuss Joe’s pac...

Congenital Heart Defects and Gender Identity

October 18, 2022 16:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MB

What considerations need to be made if people are born with congenital heart defects and determine their gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth? Is it possible for someone with a critical congenital heart defect to take hormones safely? What advice would an adult transgender woman have for others in the CHD community? Hope Jaworski was born in Temple, Texas with a single ventricle heart in 1994. She lived as a male under the name Alexander for twenty-seven y...

Heart Mom Trusting Her Gut

October 11, 2022 16:00 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MB

Why would a doctor recommend parents take their child to a facility to live his life in the 1980s? Is there ever a good reason to take your child out of the hospital and take him to Disney instead? How did Peg trust her gut when it came to her son needing cardiac transplantation during COVID-19? Peg Eitl is a mom of three children: Joe, 40, Jason, 36, and Lacey, 31. Joe was born with Down Syndrome and a single ventricle heart. Due to his medical complexity and intellectual disability, the d...

Heart Mom Trusting Her Gut

October 11, 2022 16:00 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MB

Why would a doctor recommend parents take their child to a facility to live his life in the 1980s? Is there ever a good reason to take your child out of the hospital and take him to Disney instead? How did Peg trust her gut when it came to her son needing cardiac transplantation during COVID-19? Peg Eitl is a mom of three children: Joe, 40, Jason, 36, and Lacey, 31. Joe was born with Down Syndrome and a single ventricle heart. Due to his medical complexity and intellectual disability, the d...

Families with CHDs Dealing with Mental Health Issues

October 04, 2022 16:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MB

How can a family deal with the loss of a child? What happens when a surviving child needs a transplant? What advice does a long-time Heart Mom have for other heart families? Bridgett Streacker has been married to her husband Brian for 34 years. They have four children: Jacob 33, Chesna (stillborn), Mallory (their Heart Warrior), and Haleigh 24. As a family, they have gone through many surgeries and obstacles, heartbreak and triumphs, which have made them closer.  Bridgett describes her Hear...

Heart Warrior Writer/Producer of “Broken Hearts"

September 27, 2022 16:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MB

Who is Alessandra Lichtenfeld and why did she write a film entitled “Broken Hearts”? What can a heart warrior teach the world about living with a CHD through film? How does a Heart Warrior go from being “fixed” to needing open-heart surgery at 23 years of age? Alessandra Lichtenfeld was born with pulmonary stenosis and has 6 procedures on her heart, starting from when she was 2 years of age. Throughout her life, she has had periods of illness at age 9 and as a young adult. She is a filmmake...

Heart Warrior Writer/Producer of “Broken Hearts

September 27, 2022 16:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MB

Who is Alessandra Lichtenfeld and why did she write a film entitled “Broken Hearts”? What can a heart warrior teach the world about living with a CHD through film? How does a Heart Warrior go from being “fixed” to needing open-heart surgery at 23 years of age? Alessandra Lichtenfeld was born with pulmonary stenosis and has 6 procedures on her heart, starting from when she was 2 years of age. Throughout her life, she has had periods of illness at age 9 and as a young adult. She is a filmmake...

Heart Mom/Psychologist on Anxiety, PTSD, Depression and Treatment

September 20, 2022 16:00 - 45 minutes - 31.5 MB

Why are members of the CHD community more at risk for certain kinds of psychological problems than those outside of the heart world? What makes people more at risk and what can be done about it? Thanks to Covid, people seem more reluctant to leave home for elective medical help so how can people receive treatment within the privacy and safety of their own homes? Amy Bjorkman is the mother to a 17-year-old daughter with a single ventricle heart who has had 6 heart surgeries and spent her fir...

Kate, Sydney and Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation

September 13, 2022 16:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MB

Why would a heart mom work for a CHD organization?  What would prompt a young woman to leave her career and work for the same organization? How does this organization help families affected by CHD? Kate Stacy and Sydney Philpott-Streiff both work at Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation, a nonprofit committed to year-round support for families and children affected by pediatric heart disease.  Kate is mom to six-year-old Stella, born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in 2015. She underwent thre...

The Heart of a Heart Warrior book…Coming Soon!

September 08, 2022 03:00 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MB

Amy M. Le is the guest host for this episode of “Heart to Heart with Anna.” She interviews Anna Jaworski and Megan Tones about their upcoming book “The Heart of a Heart Warrior.”  Anna Jaworski became part of the congenital heart defect (CHD) community when her child was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).  She looked for resources to learn about HLHS, and unable to find anything suitable, she created and shared resources, thus the publishing company, Baby Hearts Press, was b...

Heart Moms on PTSD and CTSD

August 25, 2022 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MB

How can Heart Mom use therapeutic techniques to overcome PTSD and CTSD? What is CTSD anyway? What is mindfulness and how can it help someone suffering from traumatic events? Djinni Yancey is the mother of 3 young adult children. Lauren is 23, Brianna is 21, and Isaac is 19. Isaac is a Heart Warrior who was born with a single ventricle heart. In addition to his congenital heart defect, he has other medical issues.  Djinni is a US Navy veteran, a recent college graduate (she graduated in Dec...

Psychosocial Needs for Parents of Adults with CHDs

August 16, 2022 16:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MB

Why would it be helpful for parents of adults with congenital heart defects (or CHDs) to have group therapy? What kinds of problems might parents of adult Heart Warriors face? Who provides this specialized kind of therapy? Dr. Smorra is passionate about psychotherapy for the CHD community. Being born with CHD herself, she brings experiential knowledge, along with her training, and research when working with clients, families, and medical professionals impacted by CHD.  Her research interes...

The “CHD Magazine”: A Magazine for the Congenital Heart Defect Community

July 19, 2022 19:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MB

Why devote a magazine to the congenital heart defect community? Who are the editors of the "CHD Magazine" and how do they choose their articles? What have been some of the featured articles and what is yet to come? This program features former Guests and authors Jenny Muscatell and Amy M. Le. We discuss how the "CHD Magazine" came to be, who helps in various ways, and how members of the CHD community can find the magazine and even become a part of it. Helpful links: Jenny’s previous app...

The “CHD Magazine”: A Magazine for the Congenital Heart Defect Community

July 19, 2022 19:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MB

Why devote a magazine to the congenital heart defect community? Who are the editors of the "CHD Magazine" and how do they choose their articles? What have been some of the featured articles and what is yet to come? This program features former Guests and authors Jenny Muscatell and Amy M. Le. We discuss how the "CHD Magazine" came to be, who helps in various ways, and how members of the CHD community can find the magazine and even become a part of it. Helpful links: Jenny’s previous app...

Living with a Single Ventricle Heart, But No Fontan

July 12, 2022 18:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MB

How can a 30-year-old Heart Warrior single ventricle survivor live without the Fontan? What special considerations need to be made when moving from Egypt to Canada? What are the biggest concerns when you fall out of cardiac care? Ellen Banoub was born in Egypt 30 years ago. She is a Heart Warrior, diagnosed with a hypoplastic left ventricle, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), pulmonary atresia, and dextrocardia. Ellen has had two surgeries, a shunt operation at one year of age, and ...

Overcoming Challenges with Tricuspid Atresia

July 05, 2022 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MB

What is tricuspid atresia? What kind of complications did Amanda Braun face over the last three decades? What surgical interventions have helped Amanda overcome her cardiac challenges? Born in 1988, Amanda Braun was diagnosed with Tricuspid Atresia, VSD, and HRHS. She had her first of 6 surgeries at 3 months old, which was a pulmonary artery banding. At 4 she developed endocarditis and had to have the PA banding redone. Amanda required no other surgeries until age 14 when she had the Glenn ...

Meeting Rachael and Sam: Hosts of ‘From the Heart Podcast’

June 21, 2022 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MB

Why would an Australian support group start a podcast? Why is it valuable to have ‘HeartKids’ doing interviews? What topics interest Aussies who listen to this podcast? Sam Stolberg and Rachael Knowles are the hosts of 'From the Heart,' a podcast by HeartKids - the only national charity solely focused on supporting people impacted by childhood heart disease based in Australia. Childhood heart disease (CHD) includes both congenital conditions, and heart conditions acquired during childhood. ...

Å leve med hypoplastisk venstre hjertesyndrom i Norge

June 14, 2022 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MB

Hvordan kan en 35 år gammel HVHS hjertekriger overleve når han ble født i Norge? Hvilke spesielle hensyn måtte gjøres når han mottok helsehjelp i USA? Var denne hjertekrigeren bekymret for at barna hans også hadde en hjertefeil? Lasse Fagereng er født i Norge med HVHS. Foreldrene hans tok ham med til barnesykehuset i Philadelphia, hvor han fikk sin første operasjon bare to dager gammel av Dr. Norwood. I dag er Lasse en frisk 35-åring som eier og driver et treningssenter, og han elsker å tre...

Living with HLHS in Norway

June 07, 2022 16:00 - 35 minutes - 24.8 MB

How can a 35-year-old HLHS Heart Warrior survive when he was born in Norway? What special considerations needed to be made when receiving care in the USA? Did this Heart Warrior have concerns about his children having a heart defect, too? Lasse Fagereng was born in Norway with HLHS. His parents took him to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he had his first surgery at two days of age by Dr. Norwood. Today, Lasse is a healthy 35-year-old who owns and runs a fitness center and loves t...

Beating Failure to Thrive

May 31, 2022 18:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MB

What exactly is “Failure to Thrive”? How has one mother battled that diagnosis? What resources are available to help other families dealing with Failure to Thrive? Debi Lewis is the mom of two daughters – Ronni and Sammi. In 2005, Debi’s second daughter’s birth began what would be a nearly decade-long journey through the confusion and inefficiencies of modern pediatric specialty medicine. Initially trusting and slowly growing more frustrated, Debi learned quickly that even within the same h...

Beyond the Scar: Bonding with our CHD Children

May 24, 2022 16:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MB

Why might a father get a tattoo to resemble his daughter's open-heart surgery chest scar? How could getting a tattoo like that change his life? What does being an advocate for the CHD community mean to Matt Backe? Matt Backe is married to his wife Laura and together they have a 10-year-old son Jack and a 4-year-old daughter named Everly, who was born with a critical heart defect. Matt went viral on the internet after having a scar tattoo on his chest to match Everly's so she wouldn't feel a...

Adult Stem Cell Success Story!

May 17, 2022 16:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MB

What happens when a Fontan patient’s ejection fraction dips too low? Can a person’s heart damage be reversed? Is there hope for a cure for congenital heart defects? Brenton Ball was born in 1990. He was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or HLHS and was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa in his first week of life. He has had several heart surgeries including a pulmonary artery banding, hemi-Fontan, and completion Fontan. He's had many stents put in, a pacemaker, and...

Mom Trusting Her Gut and Finding an Expert from Afar

May 10, 2022 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MB

This episode deals with a very unusual congenital heart defect (CHD) -- a vascular ring defect. In this episode, we will be learning about what this heart defect is, how it affects the body, how the defect can be surgically managed, and how one mother took this experience and created a children's book to help other children with CHDs. Carli Valentine lives with her husband and their two sons, Finnegan and Lochlan, in Ogden, Utah. Finnegan was born with a heart defect which contributed to ot...

Beads of Courage for CHD Warriors

March 29, 2022 16:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MB

What are Beads of Courage? Why would someone with a heart defect want to receive beads when experiencing difficulties in their medical journey? Who can benefit from the Beads of Courage program? Today’s show is Beads of Courage for CHD Warriors and our Guests are Beth Moneck and Brianna Hartmann. Beth has 6 years of experience working on a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and Acute Care unit and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Clinic as a Child Life Specialist at Children’s Hospital of P...

Heart Friends Meet for the First Time!

March 22, 2022 16:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MB

This is a special episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna" featuring two heart friends who interacted with one another for seven years before meeting each other face-to-face in person. Anna Jaworski, our Host, was lucky to be invited to this special event. The following day, she went back to Katy, Texas to actually conduct a face-to-face interview with these long-time friends to share the excitement of the meeting and share some valuable stories sure to touch the hearts of those who listen. Do...

Nonverbal Learning Disabilities in the CHD Community

March 15, 2022 16:00 - 46 minutes - 32 MB

What is NVLD? Why do some people want to change the name of NVLD to developmental visual-spatial disorder? What difficulties do people with NVLD have? Ever since Brandon Lane Phillips, M.D. had his first open-heart surgery when he was 2 years old, he wanted to be a pediatric cardiologist, just like the doctors who helped save him. Over the years, Brandon had multiple treatments and surgeries and thrived. At school, Brandon became an academically gifted student after repeating the first grad...

Dr. Tom Forsberg and Dr. Chad Hoyt: Founders of Healing Hearts Vietnam

March 08, 2022 17:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MB

Why would doctors choose to spend time volunteering in another country and creating a nonprofit organization to save children’s lives overseas? Dr. Tom Forsberg and Dr. Chad Hoyt are co-founders of Healing Hearts Vietnam. Dr. Forsberg is an emergency physician with Centra Health in Central Virginia.  He currently serves in four emergency departments throughout the region. Dr. Chad Hoyt specializes in advanced cardiovascular imaging and has been in partnership with Centra Health for the past...

Baby Heart Transplant Miracle

March 01, 2022 17:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MB

What was it like to be a parent of a baby with a critical congenital heart defect over 30 years ago? What was life like for Susan, Nick, and the rest of the family after Nick received a heart transplant? Why would an author choose to revise a book about her son's medical journey? Susan May is mom to Nick, 32, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries, coarctation of the aorta, and a septal defect.  He had three surgeries at 5 days, 3 1/2 months, ...

Medical Monday with Greg Hummer: Devices to Help Heart Warriors in Heart Failure

February 28, 2022 17:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MB

Each Monday in February we've been broadcasting a special episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna" featuring different medical devices or products. Today's episode is the last of the four Medical Monday programs and features Greg Hummer, a Senior Technical Services Specialist for Abbott. Most of the Medical Monday programs were relatively short, but Mr. Hummer talked about 4 different devices! Are you curious about the different kinds of pacemakers available? What makes an ICD different from a...

The Making of a Heart Dad

February 27, 2022 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MB

This is the final Heart Dad Sunday episode for Heart Month, February 2022 and it features a surprise -- instead of Frank Jaworski being the Guest Host, he is the Guest and his Heart Warrior son Alexander is the Guest Host. Frank Jaworski is married to Anna Jaworski. Together they had two sons – Joey and Alex Jaworski. Frank Jaworski is a certified registered nurse anesthetist or CRNA. He has worked a number of jobs over the years and we’ll talk more about that in a little bit. He also serv...

The Making of a Louisiana Legend

February 26, 2022 21:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MB

Who was the first person to close holes in the heart between the upper chambers of the heart in the cath lab? What exactly is interventional cardiology and why is it important? What future devices do our Heart Warriors have to look forward to? Today’s episode is entitled “The Making of a Louisiana Legend” and our guest is Dr. Terry King. Dr. Terry King completed his training in Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Texas and Duke University. He started practicing in 196...

Fun Fact Friday: Why do some people with bicuspid aortic valves need surgery and some don't?

February 25, 2022 17:00 - 6 minutes - 4.43 MB

Welcome to Fun Fact Friday -- a special weekly podcast during Heart Month (February 2022). Each Friday we have been sharing fun facts for the congenital heart defect community. Our Guest is Frank Jaworski, CRNA -- he is a father to a 27-year-old single ventricle Heart Warrior and he's also Host Anna Jaworski's husband. In this final episode of our mini-series, Frank will answer the question, "Why do some people with bicuspid aortic valves need surgery and some don't? Special thanks to Scot...

Tasty Thursday: Lemon Cheesecake

February 24, 2022 17:00 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MB

Each Thursday we will have author Amy M. Le joining us to chat about recipes from her cookbook Snow’s Kitchen. For those of you who don’t know, Amy is the author of a trilogy of books revolving around her Vietnamese mother’s journey to the United States after the fall of Saigon. The last book in the trilogy, Snow’s Kitchen is a novella and a cookbook! All of our recipes are from this cookbook. In this final episode of our Tasty Thursday mini-series during Heart Month, February 2022, Anna Ja...

Mental Health Wednesday -- Stretching Exercises to Soothe the Soul

February 23, 2022 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.62 MB

According to an article in Neuropsychobiology entitled “Exercise and Mental Health: Many Reasons to Move” Neurodegenerative diseases become more prevalent as individuals age and, therefore, represent a serious issue for the healthcare system. Since inactivity is the number one risk factor for many diseases, physical activity has become an emerging topic of interest for many investigators. Exercise might act as an efficient and low-cost adjunctive factor in the treatment and prevention of ag...

Plastic Bronchitis and Immune Deficiency

February 22, 2022 17:00 - 31 minutes - 22.1 MB

What is plastic bronchitis? What is immune deficiency and how might it be related to plastic bronchitis? More importantly, what can be done about it? Today’s Guest will answer those questions and more! Anna:  Heidi Ingvaldsen is 38 years old and lives in the north of Norway with her partner Karl Stian. The couple has three children from previous relationships, Karl's sons, Nicklas, aged 17, and Tobias, aged 14, and Heidi's daughter, Maya, aged 17. Heidi and Karl welcomed their son, Karl Emi...

Medical Monday with Dr. Terry King!

February 21, 2022 17:00 - 9 minutes - 6.53 MB

Each Monday in February we're broadcasting a special episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna" featuring different medical devices or products. Today's episode is the third of four Medical Monday programs and features a gentleman commonly referred to as "The Father of Interventional Cardiology." Today we’ll be talking about a congenital heart defect known as an atrial septal defect or ASD -- more commonly referred to as a 'hole in the heart' and one doctor's mission to find a way to use a devic...

Beyond CHDs: Dealing with Autism & Epilepsy

February 20, 2022 19:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MB

This is the 3rd of 4 episodes of Heart Dad Sunday -- a mini-series developed for Heart Month, February 2022. Heart Dad Frank Jaworski returns in this episode as the Guest Host. He interviews long-time friend, Michael Liben, about what it was like to raise a daughter with a critical congenital heart defect in Israel. Not only did Michael's daughter have double-outlet right ventricle, but she also had autism and she later developed epilepsy as well. Michael is the father of three children: 2...

Carrlee McGuire-Lim: From Camper to Camp Nurse!

February 19, 2022 17:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MB

How can a heart camp, like Camp Del Corazon, enhance a Heart Warrior's life? What made one Heart Warrior decide to become a nurse and eventually to go back to Camp Del Corazon as a Camp Nurse? What is the next step for a Heart Warrior after she is too old for camp? Carrlee McGuire-Lim is a Heart Warrior who was born with Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome, Coarctation, and TGA. She has had several cardiac surgeries over her lifetime and a Pacemaker placed at age 5. Carlee also has severe scol...

Fun Fact Friday: What is prostaglandin E1 and why is it important?

February 18, 2022 17:00 - 5 minutes - 3.72 MB

Welcome to Fun Fact Friday -- a special weekly podcast during Heart Month (February 2022). Each Friday we have been sharing fun facts for the congenital heart defect community. Our Guest is Frank Jaworski, CRNA -- he is a father to a 27-year-old single ventricle Heart Warrior and he's also Host Anna Jaworski's husband. In this episode, Frank will answer the question, "What is prostaglandin E1 and why is it important?" Special thanks to Scott Holmes Music for the song we're using during our...

Tasty Thursday: Boeuf Bourgignon

February 17, 2022 17:00 - 11 minutes - 7.72 MB

Each Thursday we will have author Amy M. Le joining us to chat about recipes from her cookbook Snow’s Kitchen. For those of you who don’t know, Amy is the author of a trilogy of books revolving around her Vietnamese mother’s journey to the United States after the fall of Saigon. The last book in the trilogy, Snow’s Kitchen is a novella and a cookbook! All of our recipes are from this cookbook. In this episode, Anna Jaworski and her husband Frank talk with the author of Snow's Kitchen about ...

Mental Health Wednesday -- Sharing A Small Aspect of Your Day

February 16, 2022 17:00 - 5 minutes - 3.7 MB

I believe the power of friendship to enhance our feeling of well-being cannot be overrated. Friends do so much to make us feel better about ourselves, to multiply our happiness, and to divide our sorrow. It's with the help of friends that many of us develop the resiliency to tackle those difficulties we face in life. Today's Mental Health Wednesday activity is a simple one -- simply share a small aspect of your day with someone. It might be sharing a photo, a song, or just a fun story. Perha...

Resiliency: Overcoming Challenges with Ebstein’s Anomaly

February 15, 2022 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

What is Ebstein’s Anomaly?  How did living with congenital heart defects influence Tori Geiger’s career choice? What does having Ebstein’s Anomaly mean for a newly married couple wanting a family? Today’s show is Resiliency: Overcoming Challenges with Ebstein’s Anomaly and our Guest is Tori Geiger. We’ll start today’s program by learning a bit about Tori in Segment 1. In the second segment, we’re going to talk about becoming an advocate and an author and in the final segment, we will discov...

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