Heart to Heart with Anna

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A Parent’s Guide To CHD, Neurodevelopment, And Resilience

2025-12-2842:38

Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful lever for your child’s growth isn’t another appointment, but how you care for yourself? We sit down with neuropsychologist Dr. Dawn Ilardi to connect the dots between CHD, early brain development, medical trauma, and the everyday choices that help families thrive. From prenatal influences on cognition and behavior to the protective force of stable routines and responsive parenting, we translate research into practical moves you can make this week. W...

Connecting Hearts: The Science and Stories of Congenital Heart Innovation

2025-12-0143:06

Send us Fan Mail A month of movement—across states, across continents, and across ideas—shapes this episode of Heart to Heart with Anna, where personal connection meets the frontiers of heart medicine. We begin with gratitude, travel, and family updates, then explore two breakthroughs shaping the future of congenital heart care: a major open-access study using whole-genome sequencing to forecast outcomes after CHD surgery, and nanotechnology that turns everyday implants into infection-resista...

ECMO To Ironman: Elmar Sprink's Story about Life After Heart Transplant

2025-11-0840:42

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to learn to sit again, then stand, then chase the horizon at the Ironman World Championship? We sit down with endurance athlete and keynote speaker Elmar Sprink to trace the steps from sudden cardiac arrest and seven months on ECMO to a disciplined, data‑driven comeback fueled by routine, empathy, and stubborn hope. Elmar opens up about the invisible work of recovery—why he treated hospital life like a training plan, how a visitor spreadsheet kept his spirit...

From Antidepressants To Arrhythmias: A Candid Guide To Drug‑Induced Long QT

2025-10-2136:04

Send us Fan Mail We share community updates and new events, then sit down with Ayrton Beatty to unpack how an antidepressant triggered Long QT syndrome, what symptoms to watch for, and the everyday tactics that keep them safe while honoring Edward’s memory. The conversation blends hard science, lived experience, and practical steps anyone can use to advocate with confidence. • Red Hat Society join and conference highlights • Down syndrome and CHD awareness link • Upcoming Zoom listening sess...

CHD Connects Hearts: A Grandmother’s Mission to Unite Us All

2025-09-2946:23

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a grandmother's love collides with a broken system? When Christy Pace's grandson Hunter was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome before birth, she found herself thrust into an unexpected role – not just as a supportive grandmother, but eventually as a visionary determined to transform how the CHD community connects. Our conversation pulls back the curtain on the rarely discussed perspective of grandparents in the CHD journey. Christy's raw honesty...

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