Heart Surgery

Patient Stories | David and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)

Collaboration and Care Give David a Chance at Life

When first-time parents Bethany and Jimmy Campbell learned their unborn son had a life-threatening heart condition, they turned to Akron Children’s Heart Center near their home in northeast Ohio.

At the time, they had no idea their son’s survival would depend on a long-standing partnership already in place between Akron and Cincinnati Children’s world-renowned Heart Institute.

So, when David was diagnosed before birth with a severe heart defect, that collaboration immediately connected his local-based care team with specialists 250 miles away in Cincinnati who perform some of the nation’s most complex infant heart surgeries—expertise that would be critical to saving David’s life.

World Class Heart Surgery, Treating Patients Outside Cincinnati

Before David was born, Akron Children’s clinicians consulted directly with Cincinnati Children’s cardiologists and surgeons to create a detailed surgical plan.

David was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a condition in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped and unable to pump blood to the body. He also had a second complication—a restrictive atrial septum—that blocked blood flow between the upper chambers of his heart.

This meant David would need a heart catheterization immediately after birth, followed by a series of surgeries to give him the best chance for survival.

Akron Children’s teams up with Cincinnati Children’s to provide complex care in medical specialties including congenital heart disease. The collaboration, which began more than a decade ago with kidney transplant care, is expanding to bring world-class congenital heart surgery and cardiac services closer to home for patients and families in the Akron area.

David was born earlier than expected in August 2025, and doctors in Akron acted quickly, performing an emergency catheter procedure to stabilize his heart just hours after birth. By the next morning, he was transported to Cincinnati Children’s—less than a day old and already receiving the advanced care the plan had anticipated.

Successful Heart Surgery at Cincinnati Children’s

At just 5 days old, David underwent open heart surgery at Cincinnati Children’s, led by David Morales, MD, executive co-director of the Heart Institute. The goal was to help reroute the blood flow to make sure the baby’s body could get enough oxygen and ensure blood reached his lungs.

“David’s left ventricle couldn’t do the job of pumping oxygenated blood to the body because it was too small,” said Dr. Morales. “As a result, we performed the Norwood procedure on him. We put the aorta, which usually takes blood-rich oxygen to the rest of the body, with the lung artery. This newer, larger aorta now goes from the right heart ventricle to the body. We also used a shunt, a tube that connects the right ventricle to the lung arteries, to take blood to David’s lungs.”

The Norwood procedure is so specialized that only a limited number of medical centers nationwide perform it regularly—and Cincinnati Children’s is among the most experienced, handling more than 20 each year.

During these operations, families are entrusting the heart team with their most fragile newborns, said Dr. Morales. He describes this moment as deeply personal: although outcomes can never be guaranteed, the team commits to delivering the highest level of care.

“The day a baby gets heart surgery is one the family will never forget,” Dr. Morales said. “It’s a very intimate time—talking to them, having them sign the surgery consent form and knowing they’re entrusting their baby to you. We can’t guarantee them a result, but we can guarantee that everyone on the team is going to do their best.”

A Collaboration That Strengthens Care for Every Child

David’s next surgery will take place as a toddler. “He’ll need a Fontan procedure around 3–5 years of age, which we’ll do at Akron Children’s,” said Tara Karamlou, MD, a Cincinnati Children’s cardiovascular surgeon based at Akron Children's.

She believes David’s success story reflects the power of shared expertise and highlights the strength of the Akron Children’s and Cincinnati Children’s partnership.

“It provides opportunities for collaborative learning, as we share expertise and innovative ideas,” Dr. Karamlou explained. “We make both programs better, and our patients receive world-class care.”

Looking at David today, Bethany and Jimmy are filled with gratitude—for their son’s resilience and for the medical teams whose collaboration gave him a future.

“Every single person on his care team has been encouraging and kind,” Bethany said. “We’re so blessed.”