Her heart was so enlarged it filled her whole chest. Here’s how surgeons saved her
MLive.com • • health
Key Points:
- Taliyah Symonette, a 21-year-old born with a rare congenital heart defect, experienced severe health decline last summer, leading to heart failure and withdrawal from college.
- After delayed diagnosis by multiple physicians, she was transferred to Corewell Health in Grand Rapids, where she underwent risky surgery to repair the hole in her heart and received a pacemaker.
- The surgery, performed by Dr. Marcus Haw, successfully redirected blood flow, corrected heart rhythm, and repaired valves, significantly improving Symonette’s health and quality of life.
- Corewell Health’s adult congenital heart program, established 14 years ago, emphasizes the need for better education and screening to prevent delayed treatment in patients with congenital heart defects.
