Published: January 29, 2026
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Reviewed by Mary T. Killian, M.D., and Bahaaldin Alsoufi, M.D.
Written by Courtney Hirz, a Frankfort, Kentucky, resident and mom to Noah, a young boy with a heart condition
It started like any other childhood illness. In November 2024, my 5-year-old son Noah came home from school feeling sick. We assumed it was just another typical virus (the kind every parent knows well) and treated him at home with rest and comfort.
But when his symptoms worsened, we made an appointment with his pediatrician at Norton Children’s Medical Group – Frankfort. During that visit, the nurse noted that Noah’s blood pressure was elevated. The medical team attributed it to his viral illness and tested him for COVID-19, flu and strep throat — all negative. We were sent home with medication for a respiratory infection and instructions to return the following week if he wasn’t better.
A few days later, Noah’s fever broke and he seemed well enough to return to school. He’d only been at school for two hours when I received a call from the school nurse. Noah had come to her office complaining of a severe headache. She was very concerned, because his blood pressure was extremely high, reading 156/90 or higher. This was much more elevated than it had been at his recent appointment.
A shocking diagnosis
We rushed back to the pediatrician’s office. The nurse taking his vitals was so shocked by Noah’s blood pressure readings that she thought her machine was malfunctioning. She did a manual reading, which confirmed the numbers were alarmingly high for a child his age.
Noah’s providers ordered an EKG [electrocardiogram] and echocardiogram. The technician scanned Noah’s chest carefully, taking measurement after measurement. As she focused on one particular area, I could feel my fear growing.
Mary T. Killian, M.D., pediatric cardiologist with Norton Children’s Heart Institute, shared upsetting news: Noah needed heart surgery. He had a congenital heart condition called coarctation of the aorta, along with a bicuspid aortic valve. The coarctation, a significant narrowing of his aorta, was causing his markedly elevated blood pressure. [Atypical, trileaflet aortic valve has three leaflets that open and close to control blood flow. A bicuspid valve like Noah’s has only two leaflets, which can affect blood flow to the body’s main artery.] Noah was born with these heart conditions and somehow lived with them for 5½ years without anyone knowing something was wrong.
I sat there in complete disbelief. How could our healthy, active little boy have such a serious heart condition?
Dr. Killian was so compassionate. She explained Noah’s condition thoroughly, what it meant for his future and what we needed to do next. She told us to go home, pack our things and head straight to Norton Children’s Hospital in downtown Louisville. She assured us she would call ahead so they’d be expecting us.
Preparing for surgery
After rushing to pack our bags, we arrived at Norton Children’s Hospital about 1½ hours later— confused, terrified and heartbroken. The cardiology team immediately began monitoring Noah, running tests and developing a treatment plan. For days, they worked to stabilize his blood pressure with medication and make sure he was healthy enough for surgery.
The original plan was to operate the following week, but Noah’s recent respiratory infection made it too high of a risk. The anesthesiologist recommended to wait at least four weeks after his illness to ensure surgery would be safe. After a week, we were discharged with blood pressure medications and instructions to do everything we could to keep Noah as healthy as possible while we waited for his scheduled surgery.
Those weeks at home were difficult. We checked his blood pressure constantly, tried to maintain some normalcy for Noah, while praying his medications would keep his blood pressure stable. We picked up his schoolwork every few days and did our best to keep Noah occupied at home while living with constant anxiety about his health and future.
‘The hardest day of my life’
We finally made it to the surgery date: Dec. 16, 2024. It was the hardest day of my life.
Watching them wheel my little boy into the operating room, knowing what he was about to endure was totally overwhelming. While trying to get Noah relaxed enough for surgery, there were lots of tears and prayers. It wasn’t easy trying to comfort my terrified child when I was scared, too. However, Noah’s surgeon, Bahaaldin Alsoufi, M.D., director of pediatric cardiac surgery at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, was wonderful in reassuring us many times that Noah was in safe hands and his team would give us constant updates during the five-hour surgery.
By the afternoon, we received word that the surgery was successful, but the team warned us it might be difficult to see Noah because he might not look like himself. It indeed was hard to see our boy in the Jennifer Lawrence Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, unconscious with a breathing tube and hooked up to wires and monitors. But we were immensely grateful to be on the other side of a successful surgery.
Recovery and going home
Recovery had its challenges. The day after surgery, Noah was slow to form coherent words and sentences after waking up, despite having an extensive vocabulary. A CT scan of the brain was done to rule out any problem, and thankfully, it was normal. Soon after, Noah’s speech returned to normal as the effect of anesthesia wore off.
After spending six days in the hospital, we were discharged on Dec. 22, just in time to spend Christmas at home in Frankfort, together as a family. It was the best gift we could have ever received!
I can’t say enough positive things about Noah’s entire team at Norton Children’s. Their compassion and expertise saved Noah’s life. Everyone took the time to listen, reassure us and answer every question, no matter how long it took. Noah especially loved how the staff would bring his favorite toys and play with him in the room. Louisville Metro Police Department even stopped by with Christmas gifts, and a visit from the facility dog,Dunkin, was extra special. Everyone made us feel seen and cared for during the scariest time of our lives.
Now, Noah is thriving
Today, Noah is back to being his wild and silly self. He’s in first grade and thriving academically. He loves music, playing with Legos and can share all kinds of facts about the planets and outer space.
His surgical scar has healed beautifully, and while he still takes two blood pressure medications daily, his follow-up appointments with Dr. Killian and Norton Children’s Heart Institute pediatric cardiologist Adam M. Skaff, M.D., in Frankfort have had excellent results. We appreciate being able to meet with a cardiologist so close to home.
Noah has been cleared for most activities, and it’s a joy watching him grow stronger every day. His 6th birthday, on March 24, 2025, was such a meaningful milestone: It was a celebration we prayed Noah would live to see, and it was made possible by the incredible team at Norton Children’s who saved our boy’s life.