Cardiomyopathy

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).