Maddy’s story: Heart transplant provides new start after restrictive cardiomyopathy
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A persistent cough and frequent illnesses were the first signs something wasn’t right with 5-year-old Maddy. After a lung specialist advised them to do a CT scan, Maddy’s heart was found to be bigger than normal. Further testing led to a diagnosis of restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Maddy was first treated at the Mayo Clinic and then her family requested she be transferred to Children’s Minnesota to be closer to their home in Buffalo, MN. Maddy’s parents also chose Children’s Minnesota because it’s a hospital exclusively focused on caring for kids. She needed a heart transplant and the wait time was uncertain.
After waiting nearly six months, on August 15, 2022, Maddy had a successful heart transplant at Children’s Minnesota, the largest comprehensive pediatric cardiovascular program in the region. She was discharged home only seven days later.
Watch Maddy’s story here. Learn more about Children’s Minnesota’s heart failure therapy and heart transplant program here.
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Study: Stem cells used to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome
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Children’s Minnesota is participating in a study that aims to better understand what happens to kids with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) or HLHS variant by injecting stem cells directly into the muscle of the right side of the child’s heart. HLHS is a critical congenital birth defect where the underdeveloped heart cannot support normal blood flow.
The ongoing multi-center, Phase IIb study, “Intramyocardial Injection of Autologous Umbilical Cord Blood Derived Mononuclear Cells during Stage II Surgical Repair of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome,” aims to determine if there are changes in the heart’s structure and improvement in right ventricular function after the therapy, which uses autologous (self) umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells. The study is also tracking growth and development milestones and quality of life at three months relative to the control group.
The principal investigator of the study at Children’s Minnesota is Dr. David Overman, chief of cardiovascular surgery and director of the cardiovascular program. Children’s Minnesota’s cardiovascular program treats the most pediatric cardiology patients in Minnesota and has some of the best outcomes in the country. Read more about the study here.
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CV team supports pediatric cardiac centers in India
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For more than five years, a team from Children’s Minnesota’s cardiovascular program has worked to improve the lives of kids with heart defects in Kolkata, India. A special partnership developed by Minnesota-based Children’s HeartLink is growing pediatric cardiac centers with a capacity-building “train the trainer” model as the fastest way to help the most kids.
The team from Children’s Minnesota, led by Dr. David Overman, Children’s Minnesota chief of cardiovascular surgery and Children’s HeartLink medical director, has been supporting the pediatric medical team at two sites in Kolkata, India: Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences and Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah. Their work includes teaching them advanced surgical skills for heart abnormalities and guiding them as they grow their pediatric cardiac programs. They most recently traveled to Kolkata in November 2022.
Read more about this partnership here.
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Register now: Twin Cities Pediatric Update
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Register now for the 5th annual Twin Cities Pediatric Update (TCPU) conference! This year’s event will feature four keynote speakers and a variety of plenary sessions on the latest news and advances in pediatrics. The TCPU is hosted by Children’s Minnesota, the University of Minnesota Department of Pediatrics and the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MNAAP).
Participants may join the conference in-person at the Wilf Family Center at M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital, or virtually. Register here.
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Resources for Respiratory Illness
Respiratory illnesses like RSV and influenza are circulating. Here are some helpful resources:
Podcast: Bronchiolitis updates
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Talking Pediatrics podcast
Join us each week as we bring intriguing stories and relevant pediatric healthcare information and partner with you in the care of your patients. Our guests, data, ideas and practical tips will surprise, challenge and perhaps change how you care for kids.
Listen to the previously recorded Talking Pediatrics:
"Guidelines with Gabi: Not for the Faint of Heart: Pediatric Syncope"
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Join our team
We believe children always come first. They are awesomely resilient. Eternally optimistic. Totally fearless. They are what we want to be when we grow up. Ready to be a part of something amazing? Search all job openings.
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