Heart to Heart with Anna
456 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★ - 14 ratingsRevitalize 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
Non-Cardiac Health Issues for Survivors with Complex Congenital Heart Defects (Remastered)
October 30, 2018 04:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MBSend us a Text Message. There are over one million adults alive with a congenital heart defect or CHD. Many surgeries performed on survivors are corrective but not curative. The non-cardiac health issues that seem to appear fairly regularly include, but are not limited to: problems with teeth, (i.e. an abscess, needing wisdom teeth removed or needing braces); scoliosis; problems with legs or feet requiring braces or surgery, pregnancy or female problems, male babies with undescended testicl...
Snowflakes: How Each Heart is Unique (Remastered)
October 23, 2018 04:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 ...
Cora's Law & Why It's Important (Remastered)
October 16, 2018 04:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBSend us a Text Message. Although congenital heart defects are the number one birth defect, typically newborns have not been screened for heart defects before leaving the hospital. This has tragically led to some newborns passing away from undiagnosed congenital heart defects, sometimes in their mother’s arms. This was the case for Kristine McCormick when her seemingly healthy daughter Cora passed away in her arms. It wasn’t until Kristine received the autopsy report that she realized Cora w...
Genetics in the Congenital Heart Defect Community (Remastered)
October 09, 2018 04:00 - 49 minutes - 33.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Congenital heart defects, the #1 birth defect, affect at least 1 in 100 babies born throughout the world yet when asked what causes heart defects, most doctors have had to admit they don’t really know. Many doctors tell parents that their children’s heart defects are “flukes of nature.” Occasionally heart defects are linked to particular diseases mothers were exposed to while pregnant, drugs they took or common to a family, but most of the time, doctors have had no c...
Heart Transplant Recipient and World Traveler, Jordan D. Marcia!
October 02, 2018 04:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Guest, Jordan D. Marcia joins Guest Host, Megan Tones again this week. He talks to her about his goal to visit countries all over the world and how he has traveled to many different countries. Jordan and Megan share some travel stories and tips for other Heart Warrior travelers. You won't want to miss this fun, adventurous show! We appreciate it when people support Hearts Unite the Globe podcasts. Thank you to our newest supporters -- Annie Ulchak (Patreon) and Judy M...
Surviving Plastic Bronchitis Thanks to a Heart Transplant
September 25, 2018 04:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Jordan Marcia is an amazing survivor! He shares with Guest Host, Megan Tones, his unconventional medical history which included being born with transposition of the great arteries, multiple failed surgeries to palliate his heart condition, the development of a potentially-threatening lung condition known as plastic bronchitis and then the miracle of a heart transplant that eliminated the plastic bronchitis altogether. Tune in to hear Jordan's story about what other co...
Thankful for the LVAD Bridge to Transplant
September 18, 2018 04:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBSend us a Text Message. Vikas Mahajan is a heart transplant recipient who was fortunate enough to have the benefit of modern medicine to enable him to wait for 3 years for a transplant. Born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, he has had to endure the implantation of pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators or ICDs and a left-ventricular assist device (also known as an LVAD). His ultimate surgery, cardiac transplantation, has resulted in a much-improved quality of life.Vikas shares ...
An Interview with The Transplant Helper, Jim Murrell!
September 11, 2018 04:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Jim Murrell is commonly known on YouTube as "The Transplant Helper" due to his YouTube channel full of episodes helping the transplant community. Jim was born with a congenital heart defect known as transposition of the great arteries. The Mustard Procedure helped Jim to live until adulthood and then he began having problems. Listen to find out what kind of rhythm issues Jim had and what was required to help him survive. Tune in to hear about Jim's journey and what ca...
Life Thanks to the Berlin Heart Prior to Transplant
September 04, 2018 04:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBSend us a Text Message. Melanie Slavinski talks with Anna about her son's medical journey in living with a congenital heart defect. Xavier's heart defect, cardiomyopathy, resulted in his need for a heart transplant. Join Anna and Melanie as they discuss Xavier's journey, including the use of ECMO, a Berlin Heart prior to transplantation and more! We appreciate it when people support Hearts Unite the Globe podcasts. Thank you to our newest supporters -- Annie Ulchak (Patreon) and Judy Miller ...
Transplant Recipient Debunks Myths about Transplants
August 28, 2018 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Former professional soccer player, Chuck Estrada, shares his heart journey with Anna on this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna." Chuck describes how he was born with transposition of the great arteries in 1974, the surgeries he required over time and the events that caused him to travel down a totally new and previously unexplored path by him. Chuck describes how his mother helped him to pursue his desire to be a professional ballplayer, despite having medical equi...
Heart Transplantation Due to Protein-Losing Enteropathy
August 21, 2018 04:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Shannon Arriaga is the mother of a child who was born with a critical, congenital heart defect. Eric was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and he ended up having a Fontan Procedure. Shortly after the Fontan Procedure, he developed a life-threatening condition known as protein-losing enteropathy or PLE. For more information about PLE, check out this link: https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/protein-losing-enteropathy-ple but to explain it very simply, this...
Transplant Sisters: When a Family Faces Heart and Kidney Transplant Issues
August 14, 2018 04:00 - 42 minutes - 29.6 MBSend us a Text Message. This episode features returning Guests Amy and Jessica Cowin. Amy Cowin was featured in Season 11 of "Heart to Heart with Anna" in the Heart Warrior Siblings series. She is a heart-healthy sister. Jessica Cowin is Amy's older sister who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and was featured in Episode 3 of Season 1 of "Heart to Heart with Anna." Jessica has had both a heart and kidney transplant. In this program, Jessica and Amy will talk about Jessica's early...
Quality of Life Versus Quantity of Life: Decisions Regarding End of Life Care
August 07, 2018 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBSend us a Text Message. Returning Guest, David Franco, talks with Anna about what it's like to go into congestive heart failure and the new issues he is facing when considering medical end-of-life care. He talks about how his congenital heart defect has affected his activity level over the course of his life and what changes he has seen in the last several years. Most importantly, David talks about the importance of each patient needing to be his or her own best advocate to determine boundar...
When a Baby Needs a Heart Transplant
July 31, 2018 04:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBSend us a Text Message. Returning Guest, Dana Henning, shares with Anna what it was like for her family to find out in utero that her baby would be born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and how they were prepared for their son to need surgical intervention but how they were in for a greater shock after he was born. Dana reveals the unusual conditions regarding her son's physiology that forced the family to accept that the only hope for their son to lead a normal life was a heart transpla...
Multiple Organ Transplant Due to Gastric-Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction
July 24, 2018 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Darryl Wallis is a 32-year-old pharmacist in Toronto, Canada. Because of a genetic mutation called MHY11, Darryl was born with a constellation of problems with his gastrointestinal tract.The extremely rare condition Darryl was born with is known as gastric-intestinal pseudo-obstruction. When Darryl was 20, he received a quadruple organ transplant, which included his stomach, small and large intestines, liver and pancreas. Darryl is now the father of a son who has al...
Michael & Jamie: An Interview with an Organ Recipient and a Donor’s Father
July 10, 2018 04:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBSend us a Text Message. In today's episode former Guests Jamie Alcroft and Michael Liben come on the program together to deliver a powerful portrayal of two sides of the organ donation coin -- with Jamie Alcroft we hear about what it means to be an organ donor recipient and with Michael Liben we discover what it means to be the family member of an organ donor whose life gave many other people hope. Tune in to hear Anna interview both of these inspiring men and during the final segment, you c...
Receiving the Gifts of a Liver and a Heart
July 03, 2018 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Jamie Alcroft has been entertaining audiences as part of the comedy duo Mack & Jamie for over 35 years. His appearances with Mack on The Tonight Show both with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno led to 125 original episodes of the syndicated half-hour COMEDY BREAK WITH MACK & JAMIE.In this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna," Jamie shares with Anna what happened in his life that required him to get a heart and liver transplant, what it was like waiting for the organs needed...
Liel and her Many Gifts: A Family's Decision to Donate One Girl's Lungs, Kidneys, and more!
June 26, 2018 04:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBSend us a Text Message. Michael Liben is the Host of "Heart to Heart with Michael" and he is also the bereaved father of Liel Liben. In today's program, Michael discusses with Host, Anna Jaworski, why he and his family decided to donate Liel's organs when she died. He talks about the religious ramifications, who benefited from her donations and why he feels so strongly about organ donation. We appreciate it when people support Hearts Unite the Globe podcasts. Thank you to our newest supporte...
Saving Hearts in Pakistan
June 19, 2018 04:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Farhan Ahmad is a social innovator and philanthropist who has devoted his life to helping children born in Pakistan with congenital heart defects. He is the founder & CEO of the Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation, a non-governmental organization working to build a charity heart hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. His passion for helping children in Pakistan came from the loss of his daughter to congenital heart defects or CHDs when she was three years old. Pakistan suffer...
Una Madre en Misión
June 12, 2018 04:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBSend us a Text Message. El programa de hoy es uno de un par de programas que se presentarán durante esta serie de Spotlight que presenta Defectos cardíacos en todo el mundo. El programa de hoy está en español y el programa de la semana pasada fue en inglés. Nuestro programa presenta a la Anfitriona invitada, Marta Montero y la invitada, Jennifer Iguina. El programa de la semana pasada presentó a Jennifer Iguina y la anfitriona, Anna Jaworski. Este programa se centra en cómo Jennifer descubri...
Mom on a Mission
June 05, 2018 04:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Today's program is one in a pair of programs to be presented during this Spotlight Series which features Heart Defects Around the Globe. Today's program is in English and next week's program will feature Guest Host, Marta Montero and Guest, Jennifer Iguina in Spanish. Today's program features Jennifer Iguina and Host, Anna Jaworski. This program focuses on how Jennifer discovered her son would be born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, how she came to choose the tr...
Growing Up with a Special Needs Sister (in English and Hebrew!)
May 15, 2018 04:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBSend us a Text Message. In addition to getting a more in-depth perspective regarding growing up with a special needs sister, what sets this episode apart from other "Heart to Heart with Anna" episodes is the fact that it is our very first program in Hebrew. In addition to this episode being aired in English, Sapir and Idan Liben will then conduct an interview with Rachel Greenbaum in Hebrew. Hearts Unite the Globe: A Nonprofit Organization for the Congenital Heart Defect Community is devoted...
לגדול עם אחות בעלת צרכים מיוחדים
May 15, 2018 04:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBSend us a Text Message. עידן וספיר ליבן משוחחים עם המנחה האורחת רחל גרינבוים על איך מתנהלים החיים במחיצתו של אחות בעלת מום לב מולד ואוטיזם. הם ישתפו אותנו בחוויותיהם כאחים לאחות יוצאת דופן ויספרו לנו איך היא העשירה את חייהם We appreciate it when people support Hearts Unite the Globe podcasts. Thank you to our newest supporters -- Annie Ulchak (Patreon) and Judy Miller (Buzzsprout)! Support the Show. Anna's Buzzsprout Affiliate Link Baby Blue Sound Collective Social Media Pages: Apple Po...
Een Nederlandse Moeder's Ervaring met een Kind met een Aangeboren Hartafwijking
May 08, 2018 04:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBSend us a Text Message. Philippina Wijtmans, oftewel Pien, is de moeder van 3 kinderen: Rinske, Sven, en Kyle. Pien is een Nederlandse van geboorte, maar ze verhuisde naar Amerika vanwege haar man’s werk. Vandaag is ze als gast op de show “Heart to Heart with Anna.” Zij vertelt over haar ervaringen met haar zoon Kyle die ter wereld kwam met een aangeboren hartafwijking.Dit is de eerste show van “Heart to Heart with Anna” die in het Engels en in het Nederlandse opgenomen is. Cora den Hard...
A Dutch Mother’s Experience with Congenital Heart Defects
May 08, 2018 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBSend us a Text Message. Philippina Wijtmans, Pien for short, is the mother of 3 children – Rinske, Sven, and Kyle. Pien grew up in the Netherlands but moved to the USA due to her husband's job. Today on "Heart to Heart with Anna" Pien shares with Anna what it was like for her to be a Dutch mother in the United States when her son, Kyle, was born with a congenital heart defect. This is the first "Heart to Heart with Anna" to be presented in both English and Dutch. Cora DenHarder will be the G...
Siblings of a Sister with Special Needs
April 10, 2018 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBSend us a Text Message. What was it like for Sapir and Idan to live with a sister who had special needs? How did it affect them as they grew up? How did their sister's death affect them? What advice do these young adults have for other siblings living with a sibling with special needs? Today's Guests, Sapir and Idan talk to Anna about Liel's special needs (both medical and communication) and how they feel living with her helped mold them into the people they are today. We appreciate it when ...
Brothers of a Heart Warrior Sister
April 03, 2018 04:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Lauren Bednarz was born with a very complex heart defect requiring multiple surgeries. Her older brother Ryan Celeskey and her younger brother Aaron Celeskey talk about what it was like growing up with a sister with a special heart. Ryan talks about what it was like going to school with a younger sister others wanted to pick on. Aaron talks about what it's like for him now, living with his sister and her husband while he attends college. Together the brothers paint a ...
Rainbow Baby Brother: Life After the Loss of a Sibling
March 27, 2018 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Debbie Gilmore was pregnant with her son Brandon when her older child, Matthew, passed away due to complications from his open-heart surgery to fix his congenital heart defect. Today Brandon will share with us what it has been like to be a Rainbow Baby -- a baby born after a sibling dies. He will tell us about the void he has felt with the loss of his brother, another unexpected sibling loss and how an unexpected friend from halfway across the world has become as clos...
Heart Sister, CHD Advocate and Heart Mom
March 20, 2018 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Kristi Gimpel has a remarkable story. As a little girl, her younger sister had to undergo multiple open-heart surgeries. Kristi tells Anna about who took care of her, how she felt about her sister, especially when other children were curious about her sister's condition and how her mother taught her to be an advocate instead of being angry. Unbeknownst to Kristi, her first child would also be born with a congenital heart defect. Kristi shares the story of her pregnanc...
My Heart Brother & Best Friend
March 13, 2018 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Usman Shahid is the older brother of Nauman Shahid. In this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna" Usman shares with Anna what it was like for him to grow up with two younger siblings with special needs. He talks about what he remembers from Nauman's open-heart surgeries, what it was like to relocate to the United States from Pakistan, what it was like to have a sister with Down Syndrome and how his family has always pulled together and been there for each other throug...
Growing Up with a Heart Warrior Brother
March 06, 2018 05:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Daniel Sadjak shares with Anna what it was like to grow up in a family with heart-healthy siblings and one sibling born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). He talks about his earliest memories, what it was like going to school with his brother and how his relationship with his brother has changed over time. Now that both brothers are adult-aged, the brothers have a more mature relationship. Tune in to hear how parenthood has affected Daniel's perspective on h...
A Special Bond between Sisters
February 27, 2018 05:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Sisters Amy and Jessica Cowin share a special secret. They have both been touched by organ donation and transplantation. Jessica was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or HLHS and needed a heart transplant. As if that wasn't stressful enough, Jessica learned that her kidneys were failing and if she didn't get a transplant, she would have to go on dialysis. Leave it to younger sister, Amy, to come to the rescue! Tune in to hear Amy talk about what it was like fo...
Heart Sister to Heart Sister
February 06, 2018 05:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBSend us a Text Message. In today's program Katie Hunt talks about what it was like to grow up with tetralogy of Fallot and how she longed for a sister or brother. She talks about what it was like to be bullied in school and how that experience led her to move to a new school and to develop a relationship with a little girl that would blossom into a full-fledged sisterhood, not only for Katie and Amanda but for their mothers and entire families! Learn how these families' lives became entwined...
Big Sister to a CHD Warrior: Time Together, Time Away
January 30, 2018 05:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Roseann Franco Bischoff is David Franco's big sister. She shares with Anna what it was like for her growing up in a house full of siblings where she had a lot of responsibility and how that became amplified when her brother David was born with congenitally corrected transposition of the great vessels. She shares how having a chronically ill brother affected the family, what her relationship was like with David and how having an ill brother prepared her for motherhood ...
Brother of an HLHS Warrior
January 23, 2018 05:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBSend us a Text Message. In today's episode, big brother Joey Jaworski, talks about what it was like growing up with a brother with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or HLHS. He shares some of his earliest memories with Anna (who also happens to be his mother), talks about ways he believes he helped his brother and ways that he believes parents can help their heart warriors and heart-healhy children. He discusses ways he stays close to his brother, the big change he made just recently because o...
Heart Sister Now and Forever
January 16, 2018 05:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Today on "Heart to Heart with Anna" Ayrton Beatty talks with Anna about growing up in Scotland with her brother Edward. She tells Anna what they had in common, what it was like going to school together and what friends they had and how she communicates with some of those friends today. She also shares what it was like to discover that her brother had a congenital heart defect. She shares how, 18 years ago, her life completely changed after an extremely traumatic event...
Heart Sister, Heart Warrior and Heart Mom!
January 09, 2018 05:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Steffe Becker is in a unique position. She is the sister to a brother with a congenital heart defect (CHD). She was born with a heart defect herself and she is the mother of twins. One of the twins was born with a heart defect. Tune in to today's program to hear what life was like for Steffe growing up in the 1970s and 1980s with a heart defect and what it was like to have children in the 2000s -- one with a heart defect and one heart healthy. She has a unique histori...
Siblings of a Truncus Arteriosus Sister
January 02, 2018 05:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Jeff is the oldest of three siblings, born in 1977, and the only son to Chris and Jeff Sr. Jeff was just over 4 years old, when Jennifer was born with a congenital heart defect. Growing up, he was responsible for walking Jennifer to the school they both attended and babysitting both sisters. He enjoyed playing most sports, especially hockey, which he still plays.Jessica Weiner, at 32, is the heart-healthy, youngest of three siblings. Jessica’s sister, Jennifer, was b...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Olympic Athlete Paul Wylie
December 26, 2017 05:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Who would ever believe that an Olympic athlete harbored a hidden heart defect for decades? What happened to Olympic Silver Medalist Paul Wylie? How did he survive sudden cardiac arrest? Tune in today to "Heart to Heart with Anna" to hear Paul's story and the amazing secret his heart carried for decades before, not only being discovered, but nearly costing him his life! Listen as Paul shares what he believes has kept him healthy for all these years and how he feel abou...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Beth Greenaway
December 19, 2017 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Beth Greenaway was an extremely competitive athlete despite the fact that she was born with a pulmonary valve problem which required surgery in her childhood. Join us today as she describes the kind of problems she encountered after falling out of medical care for over a decade, how her athletic prowess was affected and what kind of treatment she needed in order to continue to be an athlete. Beth shares with us the incredible roller-coaster ride she went on until she ...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Greg Bassett
December 12, 2017 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Greg Bassett was an athlete in his 40s when he was told, during a routine physical, that he had a heart murmur. Before he knew it, he was visiting a cardiologist and events would transpire to change his life. Join us as Anna talks with Greg about what it was like to discover he had a congenital heart defect, the plans and actual course of treatment he underwent and how he's doing now. You'll also discover what it means to Greg to be a Cardiac Athlete™ and how the book...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Ed Rucci
December 05, 2017 05:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Ed Rucci joins Anna today on 'Heart to Heart with Anna" to talk about how his heart attack has affected his life. Join us to hear how the event transpired, surprising this Cardiac Athlete™ who was a competitive athlete taking part in triathlons. Learn what he feels was the culprit in causing his heart attack and what measures he's gone to to make sure it doesn't happen again! Learn what psychological changes have occurred in his life that have enabled him to resume hi...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Graeme Sutton
November 28, 2017 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Graeme Sutton was 50 years old before discovering he had a potentially life-threatening heart defect. Join us today as Graeme shares with Anna what it was like to discover that he had, not only a serious heart defect, but also a disease process which could cause him to have a stroke or die. Learn about how he had to handle this delicate situation and how he strove to regain his life and his passion for being a triathlete and even competing in an Ironman competition.Gr...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Roger Potter
November 21, 2017 05:00 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Roger Potter was born in the 1940s -- a critical time in the era of open-heart surgery because it was in 1944 that Dr. Blalock and Dr. Taussig performed the first operation to save a "blue baby." Roger was one of the original "blue babies" saved by this pioneering open-heart surgery. Listen today as Roger shares with Anna what it was like for him growing up with a congenital heart defect, what he feels doctors did right when he was growing up that perhaps should be re...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Neil Collins
November 14, 2017 05:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Neil Collins was born with the most common congenital heart defect - a bicuspid aortic valve. Join us today as we learn about what it was like growing up with this heart defect, how long it took to become a problem and what Neil did about it. We'll learn how it affected his profession, what considerations went into the open-heart surgery and what it meant to Neil regarding his ability to continue to be an athlete. At the end of the program Neil will tell Anna waht bei...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Aimee Osinski
November 07, 2017 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBSend us a Text Message. Like so many of the Cardiac Athletes™ Anna has interviewed for this Spotlight on Cardiac Athletes™, Aimee Osinski discovered her heart condition after she thought she was in tip-top shape and in adulthood. It was quite a shock for Aimee to discover her condition. Tune in to hear Aimee talk with Anna about her diagnosis, what transpired and how it affected her life. Aimee also shares with Anna what it means to her to be a Cardiac Athlete and how running helped her feel...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Martin Brady
October 31, 2017 04:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Martin Brady was a runner from an early age but at age 24 he discovered something startling -- he was born with a bicuspid aortic valve. Join us as Martin shares what happened to him after he discovered he had this birth defect, how he prepared himself for the inevitable and what consequences he's endured since having his heart valve replaced. Martin has submitted an essay for the 2nd book in the Cardiac Athlete series by Lars Andrews. To purchase the first book in th...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Michael Montgomery
October 24, 2017 04:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Green Bay Packer #96 -- Michael Montgomery -- was a defensive end with a history of 123 tackles and 5 sacks. He also harbored a little-known secret -- he was born with a potentially life-threatening congenital heart defect. Had it not been for the quick thinking of the Texas A & M football staff, Michael Montgomery very well could have died in college and would never have played professional football. Today he talks with Anna about how his heart defect was diagnosed, ...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Tracie Happel
October 17, 2017 04:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Today we'll meet with Cardiac Athlete™ Tracie Happel as she talks with Anna about the unusual circumstances that led to the diagnosis of a rare heart defect that could have claimed the life of her and her son. Tune in to hear the difficulties Tracie experienced in getting a proper diagnosis and what advice she has for other female athletes who experience symptoms like hers. You'll be inspired by the spunk this athlete has exhibited with her tenacity to lead the life s...
Cardiac Athlete™ Spotlight: Richard Gardner
October 10, 2017 04:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Tune in to hear Richard Gardner talk to Anna about his journey from athlete to discovery that his heart had a valve problem to having open-heart surgery and then his decisions regarding exercise following his surgery. Listen to the compromises he had to make and how he feels about those compromises. Richard Gardner will be participating in the 2nd book in the Cardiac Athlete series by Lars Andrews. To purchase the first book in the series, go to this link (and you'll ...