Born with a congenital heart defect, and this is relatively low-risk compared with other open-heart procedures. We are optimistic that this will correct her defect and eliminate the need for future surgeries. We knew from before she was born that this was in the cards, so we feel very fortunate that we have had more than 18 months to process this.

Wife and I are a bit calmer than we were anticipating at this point, and are grateful for the fantastic medical team here at Penn-State Children's Hospital. Being the parents of a heart-warrior is a club that no one wants to be a part of, but medical advances are a modern miracle that offers hope. For those wondering, she has pulmonary atresia and atrial septal defect (for future CBer search references).