Alyiah Luntzer’s mom wears heart health on her sleeve
Aug 21, 2025
“Heart mom” Christina Luntzer was teaching kids about heart health long before Alyiah was born. Now they learn about it together.
Congenital Heart Defects
After 2 heart surgeries, jiu-jitsu gave him strength. Then his son was diagnosed.
Mar 20, 2025
As a child, Chris Kidwell had two surgeries to fix a heart defect. When he learned his son also had a heart defect, doctors at the same hospital stepped in to help.
'Healthy 23-year-old' had stroke during spin class
Mar 18, 2025
After five days, Emma Rand finally got a diagnosis for the symptoms she was having: a stroke. Doctors later found a hole in her heart and closed it.
Babies with heart defects – and their mothers – may face higher cancer risks
Mar 17, 2025
Being born with a heart defect, or giving birth to a child with one, may increase the risk for cancer, new research suggests.
When her son was diagnosed with severe heart problems, she blamed herself. Could she get over it?
Feb 21, 2025
Jamie Dawson went from a devoted sister to a mother facing her child's heart defects. The emotional roller coaster was so jarring that she was diagnosed with PTSD.
Teen's face went numb at the start of a calculus exam. Another migraine? No. A stroke.
Jan 15, 2025
During what she thought was a migraine episode, Maddy Ferriter had a stroke due to an undiagnosed heart defect.
Newborn was in heart failure. Now 13, he helped pass a pulse ox law for babies.
Dec 12, 2024
At Colton Berlin's 1-week checkup, he turned blue in the pediatrician's office. His left ventricle wasn't working.
Basketball coach didn't think his symptoms were a big deal. Good thing he went to the ER anyway.
Nov 19, 2024
Walt Morris dismissed his neck pain and headaches. But when a bolt of jaw pain knocked him to the ground, his wife insisted he go to the hospital. His aorta had torn.
She was told her heart condition made pregnancy dangerous. Her daughter just graduated college.
Nov 14, 2024
Tara Garcia was born in 1974 with a congenital heart defect that was tough to treat at the time. Decades later, she endured irregular heartbeats and two cardiac arrests.
His heart stopped during last year's Richmond Marathon. This weekend, he'll run it again.
Nov 12, 2024
David Griffin had a cardiac arrest while running the Richmond Marathon. Thanks to the quick actions of other runners, he's still alive – and still running.