When Raven was 15 months old, her pediatrician in Riverton, Wyoming, 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 arcade mitral valve, which means one of her heart valves that opens and closes 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, she underwent open heart surgery for a mechanical mitral valve replacement. During that hospital stay, she really enjoyed visits from our medical dog Galaxy, who along with our ChildLife specialists provide emotional support for hospitalized patients and families. Throughout all her medical issues, she has thrived with resilience and is a vibrant young woman. She was Fremont County Rodeo royalty last summer, and in her spare time she can be found riding her horse Texas, or showing goats at the fair.
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 (a 6-hour drive) twice a year, which would add significant stress to their lives. I am honored to travel to Lander and our other Wyoming outreach sites to be able to provide this service to patients like Raven.
