Johnny
 Hello All. My name is John (Johnny). I have had heart problems my entire life including Aortic Stenosis, Subaortic Stenosis, and Coarctation of the Aorta. I have had one closed-heart surgery to repair my coarctation of the aorta, and three open heart surgeries. The most recent of my four surgeries was on April 14, 1998, when I had the Ross-Konno procedure, which includes replacement of the aortic valve with my pulmonary valve and replacement of that with a cadaver valve. The Konno part of it was opening up the left ventricle into the right ventricle to make it wider, and putting a patch on the new opening- in other words, widening the outflow tract.
Even with my problems I was lucky enough to play baseball when I was younger. As I got older and my heart problems progressed, I was told not to play anymore. When I first learned of this I did not like it, but quickly realized it was in my best interest to put it behind me. Not playing baseball is now not a problem. I have realized it is dangerous for me to play, and have found many other things to keep me busy.
In most ways I am a normal kid. I am a Boy Scout and just received the highest rank of Eagle Scout, which only 1-2% of all Scouts achieve. Scouting has taught me more important things than almost anything else I have done. It has also taught me leadership and how to help others. I also have become an avid bowler. I first joined a bowling team in 3rd grade, and have become quite good at it. Bowling is a great sport for people like me because it is just as competitive as any other sport, depending on how serious you are, but it does not take as much physical exertion as other sports. This year I’m a member of a varsity team and a varsity travel team.
Another important part of my life is marching band. I normally play the trumpet, but because of my physical restrictions I can’t do any marching this year, so I’m playing in the percussion section. It’s different, but I’m still a part of the group. Band is a great social place for me – we hang out in the band room before and after school which is lots of fun. I hope to play in marching band in college someday (at University of Michigan, of course).
I also have just as many friends as any other person in my school. The most important part of a person is their personality. Since I’ve grown up surrounded by hospitals and doctors, I hope to become a cardiologist specializing in adults with Congenital Heart Disease. Even with limitations, my goals have always been high. I am glad I got the opportunity to write about myself and I hope everyone else is as lucky as I am, and get to find things they enjoy like I was able to do.
Return to the Portrait Gallery
|
