Published: January 6, 2026
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
As a newborn, Magnolia Lee Ford-Conway was diagnosed with transposition of the great arteries (TGA), a complex heart condition that requires early surgery after birth for survival. Today, the energetic 3-year-old from Bowling Green, Kentucky, loves books, dolls and playing with her older sister.
Magnolia’s mom, Mekinsey Ford-Conway, clearly remembers the difficult days after her newborn was diagnosed with TGA, which is a reversal of the origin of the aorta and pulmonary arteries, the two major blood vessels leaving from the heart.
She also remembers the team within Norton Children’s Heart Institute that cared for Magnolia and supported Mekinsey and her husband, Caleb Ford-Conway, in the early stages of an unknown new reality.
“The exceptional care at Norton Children’s felt intentional in every detail,” Mekinsey said. “Nurses decorated her [incubator], staff nicknamed our girl ‘Firecracker’ and the doctors drew diagrams so Caleb and I, both artists, could visually see the plan. Those moments made us feel like the only family in the hospital for just long enough to breathe.”
Magnolia was born full term and delivered at 3:04 a.m. after three pushes from Mekinsey at a hospital near the family’s home about 100 miles south of Louisville.
“A few moments after birth, I had an unsettling feeling,” Mekinsey said. “Magnolia just didn’t have the vibrant pink skin coloring, so her nurses were rubbing her skin and eventually [she] gained color.”
At first it felt normal with skin-to-skin contact, a perfect latch, family visiting — until about nine hours later when Magnolia’s uncle noticed her lips looked blue. A lactation consultant checked her oxygen, and the numbers were low. The lactation consultant and nurse took Magnolia to the nursery for further testing. After 20 minutes, a doctor in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit returned to share Magnolia’s diagnosis of transposition of the great arteries. That meant a trip to Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville for heart surgery.
“In that moment, I only heard the words ‘heart defect, transported, Norton Children’s and surgery,’” Mekinsey said. “Everything became distorted in my mind.”
There are two types of transpositions, a D-type and an L-type. Magnolia was diagnosed with D-type transposition.
In D-type, the two main (great) arteries (aorta and pulmonary artery) are connected to the wrong chambers of the heart. When the vessels are switched, the aorta is on the wrong side of the heart and gets oxygen-poor blood from the body instead of oxygen-rich blood fresh from the lungs. The oxygen-poor blood continues to recirculate to the body. At the same time, the pulmonary artery keeps recirculating oxygen-rich blood to the lungs instead of sending it out to the body. This type of heart congenital heart condition requires surgery.
At the hospital where she was born, Magnolia remained stable until the Norton Children’s Hospital “Just for Kids” Transport Team arrived by helicopter. The team’s warm, calm demeanor, confident actions and precise communication immediately reassured Mekinsey that her daughter was in the right hands for her care.
Mekinsey and Caleb had complete trust after meeting with Magnolia’s team of cardiologists and nurses. Bahaaldin Alsoufi, M.D., director, pediatric cardiac surgery, Norton Children’s Heart Institute, outlined the plan and provided clear explanations, answering every question.
“Surgery at 3 days old restored normal anatomy, connections and physiology. Although all patients with congenital heart disease require lifelong follow-up, this was a corrective operation, and only one surgery is expected to be needed.” Dr. Alsoufi said
Magnolia underwent open heart surgery to connect the two main arteries to their proper chambers and later underwent an additional procedure.
“We were given consistent updates and knew she was in the best hands with Dr. Alsoufi,” Mekinsey said. “Lifesaving measures kept our petite fighter alive; she was being treated by the best at Norton Children’s.”
Magnolia stopped needing to be given oxygen after about a week, and then faced the car seat test, an important screening to make sure that a baby can safely sit in their car seat without having any dangerous issues with their breathing, heart rate or oxygen. She failed it the first time but passed on a longer, three‑hour trial the second time. That evening, after passing the test, Magnolia was able to head home to Bowling Green.
“It felt like we had closed a circle: arriving at Norton Children’s at 10 p.m. to see her for the first time, leaving almost a month later at about the same hour with our daughter in our arms,” Mekinsey said. “She hasn’t been hospitalized since.”
Magnolia is an active toddler and full of life. She now sees her Norton Children’s Heart Institute cardiologist at Norton Children’s Outpatient Center – Bowling Green annually and is no longer on medication.
“Magnolia completed our family,” Mekinsey said. “We are forever grateful for Norton Children’s.”