My name is Mikey, and I am a 5th grader in Carol Stream, Il.  I have SVT.  That stands for Supraventricular tachycardia.  It means I have a heart condition.  My heart works, but it  just works different than other people.  I take medicine every day.  I see a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Memorial Hospital.  Her name is Dr. Tsao.  She has been taking care of me since I found out about my heart condition in Kindergarten. 

I sometime have to wear a special monitor that counts my heart beats and makes sure that my heart is working OK. 

Every once in a while I have an SVT episode.  That is when my heart beats really fast. There are special things that I do to slow down my heart rate, like stand on my head. 

Even though I have a heart condition, I can still play baseball, basketball or any other sport that I want.  I still do gym and recess, even Track & Field Day.  I swim in my pool all summer and ride my bike and scooter.  When I am ready, there is a surgery that I can have done.  SVT is not life threatening so it’s up to me and my parents to decide about the surgery. 

My family and I are grateful for all the research done by the American Heart Association that has helped me and other kids with heart disease have a chance at a long and healthy life.



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