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.
In March 2020, Ally and Roger were getting ready for the birth of their first child. The couple’s excitement about welcoming their baby turned into worry when baby Oliver was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
Caitlin and William’s life in Minnesota was off to an exciting start. Shortly after moving from Salt Lake City for William’s work in 2019, the couple learned they were expecting their second child. Their daughter Lucy was looking forward to becoming a big sister. Everything was going according to plan with Caitlin’s pregnancy, until her 20-week ultrasound – a moment that would alter their life going forward.
Sloan is one of nine students selected as a finalist in her age category for the National Braille Challenge. Very impressive, especially when you consider Sloan’s been living with a brain tumor most of her young life.
Isadora's story sounds like a movie. A young, aspiring actor begins landing roles on the stage and screen but then gets diagnosed with cancer at age 15. What sounds like a movie, was Isadora’s reality. However, she's back to living her dream after receiving care at Children's Minnesota's Adolescent and Young Adult cancer program.
Michaela and Nic were excited to welcome their first baby, Xander. The pregnancy was going smoothly until a growth scan at 32 weeks. Only a week before Christmas, Michaela was told her baby was in heart failure and she needed to get to a hospital that provided expert fetal and neonatal he needed.
Baby Ellie spent 21 days recovering in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children's Minnesota after she was born with a rare condition that required immediate surgery. She's now home and all smiles.
If you see baby August today, it would be hard to tell the difficult road he’s already been on in his young life. Diagnosed in utero with Ebstein anomaly, August’s was able to beat the odds thanks to a comprehensive and multidisciplinary team of health care professionals.
At only 3 years old, Xenia has required multiple surgeries, including many neurosurgeries. Though there had been some challenges in her case, Xenia's family says they could not have asked for a more compassionate and empathetic team at Children's Minnesota.