When Raven was 15 months old, her pediatrician in Riverton, Wyo., discovered she had an abnormal heart murmur. After being referred to Children’s Hospital Colorado at the Anschutz Medical Campus for several tests, Raven’s parents learned that she had a form of congenital heart disease called mitral valve arcadia, which means the flap of tissue in the heart that opens and closes to make sure blood is flowing in the right direction was not working properly.

Raven underwent several catheter procedures, one in which her valve was “ballooned” to allow her time to grow before she would need open-heart surgery to replace her valve. When she was 7 years old, her cardiologist determined that it was time to replace Raven’s valve with an artificial one. She underwent open heart surgery in October 2019. Raven requires at least two checkups a year with her cardiologist, and without the Children’s Colorado Outreach Clinics, Raven’s family would have to travel to Denver at least twice a year, which would add significant stress to their lives.