Before Miles was born, his parents knew he had a rare congenital heart defect — double outlet right ventricle. This occurs when the aorta connects to the right ventricle of the heart instead of the left.
“An ultrasound at 20 weeks revealed some red flags,” his mom, Emily, recalls. “It was scary news to receive, but we were glad the doctors could be prepared.”
Right after his birth in September 2016, Miles was rushed to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh where a care team was waiting for him. Fifteen days later, Victor Morell, MD, performed open heart surgery on Miles, connecting his aorta to the left ventricle.
“Dr. Morell is such a great man,” Emily says. “He was the calm, reassuring force we needed. We trusted him and knew he had everything under control.”
A week after surgery, Miles had a catheterization procedure to treat pulmonary stenosis, a narrowing of his pulmonary artery. He’s had the procedure twice since then, all performed by Jacqueline Kreutzer, MD.
“She’s been phenomenal. We absolutely adore her, and she’s been so sweet to Miles,” Emily explains.
During his trips to the cath lab, Miles always has his stuffed dog, Silvie, by his side. Emily says his favorite activities include playing soccer, swimming, and going to camp.
“When people see him now, they’d never know what he went through as a newborn. We’re so blessed to have this hospital so close to home.”