Red Balloon 4 Heart Defects

This is really exciting news! Thank you CHF!

The Children's Heart Foundation is partnering with the Izak Szymczak Research Fund to support research that focuses on durable mechanical support in patients with single-ventricle congenital heart disease. ❤

The 2025 Izak Szymczak Research Fund Award​, administered through The Children’s Heart Foundation​, has been awarded to Dr. Mark Rodefeld (Indiana University) for his research on, ""Fontan Pump: Wireless Charge and Control System Development"".

Dr. Rodefeld’s work aims to move the Fontan pump closer to full implantability by developing a wireless charging, control, and monitoring system—eliminating external hardware and helping improve quality of life for patients while easing the daily burden on families and caregivers.

Together, we’re investing in research that brings hope and transforms care for CHD patients.

Sharing my Elliott’s story in the hope
That it helps another family. He is now 18 and a senior in high school.

Part 2:

Elliott had the second repair, the Glenn at 9 months old. He had grown beautifully and was strong. The surgery went well. No major complications and we were able to come home a couple weeks later. He would stay in the Glenn circulation for 6 years. The philosophy of his cardiologist was, the minute you do the Fontan (3rd surgery) you start the countdown to transplant. So he left him alone to grow. He did beautifully during those 6 years. His O2 saturations were in the low 80’s but he managed. He was very active and a typical boy although when he would run a distance he would need to squat (seems to be the position they all naturally take) and catch his breath and then take off again. It was all normal to him so he never questioned it. He did well in school, no accommodations except to allow him to catch his breath when needed and if he wasn’t feeling well the nurse would first check is O2. He didn’t have any out of the normal sicknesses and was pretty healthy during that timeframe.