How a mother’s battle with truncus arteriosus informed her daughter’s

Lauren and Kaylee As a cardiac patient at Boston Children’s for the past 29 years, Lauren Hoey had learned to thrive in spite of her condition, but she never knew that she would be learning these coping skills in order to teach her daughter, Kaylee, the same skills and attitude. When Lauren was just 18 hours old, she underwent her first heart surgery for truncus arteriosus, a rare congenital heart disease (CHD) that means only a single vessel arises from the heart. Normally, there are two separate vessels coming out of the heart. In 1983—the year Lauren was born—she stayed at Boston Children’s for more than one month. Most children who’ve had surgery for this condition recover and grow normally, although they are at risk for future arrhythmias, leaky valves and other heart complications. Also, like Lauren, these patients may require additional procedures before they reach adulthood. Over the years, Lauren had three more cardiac surgeries and back surgery for scoliosis, and was fitted for two hearing aids. Twenty-five percent of babies born with congenital heart defects develop scoliosis. Yet, she didn’t allow these challenges to hold her back—succeeding as a competitive jazz and ballet dancer. She was an active member of the dance team during all four years at Westfield State College in Massachusetts. “While I knew I couldn’t run up and down a soccer field, I found other sports in which I could participate and still enjoy,” Lauren says. “From the time I...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: All posts Heart conditions Adult Congenital Heart Program at Boston Children’s BACH CHD congenital heart disease Frank Pigula Heart Center Mary Mullen truncus arteriosus Source Type: news