Meet Harding | Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center Patient Stories

Three Congenital Heart Defects – And One Full, Happy Life

From the moment Tom and Kat learned their baby would be born with a life-threatening heart condition, Cincinnati Children’s became their steady guide—offering expert care, emotional support, and a compassionate team they would rely on for years to come.

What began as a frightening prenatal diagnosis has grown into an enduring partnership between their family and members of the Heart Institute and the Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center at Cincinnati Children’s.

A Shocking Diagnosis, a Reassuring Plan

A routine ultrasound took an unexpected turn when the sonographer became silent and requested a nurse practitioner. Minutes later, Tom and Kat heard the words that would change everything: their unborn son had three severe congenital heart conditions.

“It was like a bomb went off, and then it was silent, and then there was this sort of a distant ringing in my ears,” Kat said. “I felt like my body left time and space for a moment.”

The next words from the nurse practitioner pulled Kat and Tom back to the present: “Don’t worry, Cincinnati Children’s is just down the road, and they have a plan for this. We’re going to send you there right now.”

At Cincinnati Children’s, pediatric cardiologist Christopher Statile, MD, explained the full extent of their son’s condition:

Hypoplastic right heart syndrome — an underdeveloped right ventricle was too small.
Coarctation of the aorta — his main artery was too narrow at the top.
Transposition of the great arteries — the two major arteries leaving the heart were reversed.

Dr. Statile was both compassionate and decisive.

“He could tell how scared we were,” Tom said. “At the same time, he was instantly proactive and reassured us that the team would be able to treat our son.”

Outlining the path forward, Dr. Statile explained that their baby would require three open-heart surgeries—one within days of birth, one in early infancy, and one around age three.

“It was invaluable knowing from the beginning that our baby could receive all the care he needed at Cincinnati Children’s,” Tom said. “That gave us hope.”

Navigating the Early Years

Harding was born in June 2014 and spent much of his early life at Cincinnati Children’s. His care team at the Heart Institute provided constant monitoring, lifesaving surgeries, and round-the-clock support through medical crises. When he was home, Tom and Kat managed the immense responsibility of caring for a medically fragile baby while trying to maintain normalcy for their older daughter.

The emotional weight was intense. Kat remembers wrestling with fear and grief. “Every plan we had for our lives got swept away and redefined by this diagnosis,” she said. “You have to learn to live with uncertainty, and that’s really challenging, too.”

But through every surgery, setback, and sleepless night, the Cincinnati Children’s staff—surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, medical psychologists—showed up not just for Harding, but for his parents.

Through it all, Kat said, Cincinnati Children’s was there. “Not only did the surgeons, cardiologists and nurses provide Harding with world-class cardiac care, they made us feel like part of a family. They understood how hard this journey was and how to help us through it.”

Kat recalls one moment in particular: after a terrifying ambulance ride, a doctor gently took Harding from her arms and told her, “I want you to know you’re doing a great job keeping your son alive. The fact that he’s here doesn’t mean you failed. It means you did what you were supposed to do, which is get him the help he needs.”

Kat calls it the moment she finally realized they were not facing this alone.

“I was so stressed out and overwhelmed,” Kat said. “It was such a wonderful moment of connection that let me know everything was going to be OK.”

Growing Up With Support From the Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center

Thanks to advances in surgery and lifelong specialized care, many children born with severe congenital heart disease are living full, active lives well into adulthood.

Today, Harding is an energetic 11-year-old who loves basketball, magic tricks, and trying new things. You’d never guess he’s had three open-heart surgeries.

But his cardiac journey isn’t over. He still needs regular follow-ups with his cardiology team, and every week he meets with a medical psychologist at the Heart and Mind Wellbeing Center, who specializes in supporting people affected by cardiovascular disease.

“We were told early on that one in two people with congenital heart disease will be diagnosed with anxiety or depression,” Tom said. “We wanted to be proactive for Harding. The Center has been a great resource for him and our whole family. It’s so good to have someone else on your team who truly understands what you’re going through.”

Moving Forward With Hope

Years after that life-altering ultrasound, Tom and Kat now look at their son with awe. He’s grown into a confident, joyful child who understands his heart condition but refuses to be defined by it.

“We could never have imagined that 11 years later Harding would be where he is today,” Tom said. “He knows his heart condition doesn’t define him. It’s so exciting for Kat and me to be alongside him and give him every opportunity to live his life to the full.”

(Published December 2025)