Temi was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and placed on a heart transplant list only a few weeks after her birthday in 2023. She’s been in the cardiovascular care center (CVCC) at Children’s Minnesota with her family by her side ever since wishing for one thing - a new heart.
Read the story of Maddy's heart transplant.
The first sign something could be going on with 17-year-old TJ's health came in Spring 2022. He was diagnosed with a rare heart condition and doctors determined the only way he could heal was with a heart transplant.
Maddy and Rinken are almost inseparable. The two girls have such a special bond you'd think they were sisters. However, they only met for the first time a few months ago. What brought them together is as unique as their bond: they are both waiting for one thing – a new heart.
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle which impairs the heart's ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. Children with cardiomyopathy usually have a normal heart structure, but have a disease that is either primary (in the heart itself) or secondary (affecting the heart as a result of a toxin or infection in the body).