healthfocus “We want them to have the same opportunities as everyone else and to live as normal a life as possible.” — Dr. Kim Duncan
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and UNMC. “Our goal is to treat them so they can be sent home and treated like
everyone else. We try not to let the heart limit their choices.” Leonard didn’t let her heart condition set limits for her. From the beginning, she was determined to be just like everyone else, she says. In high school, she participated in many extracurricular activities including the marching band and student government. She began running daily in college and went on to become a full-time registered nurse. At age 29, she gave birth to her first child. “I’ve never given myself any restrictions,” says Leonard. “I think the reason I’ve done so well is because I am strong-willed and try to be just like everyone else.” Leonard’s pregnancy, however, was not without complications. Her heart valve became infected and she needed continuous intravenous antibiotics during the last trimester. “I was very weak and spent most of the time in the hospital,” she says. Her new baby daughter was born at 36 weeks and will be her only child, she says. “My pregnancy was too risky,” she says. “I can’t have another.” The risks associated with becoming pregnant vary depending on the type of congenital heart disease a person has. “For most women with single ventricles, we strongly recommend not getting pregnant because the risks are so high for maternal complications and mortality,” says Dr. Kugler.
Photo by minorwhite studios
Dr. Kim Duncan, cardiothoracic surgeon at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and UNMC
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