Meet Kristen Robertson

Fort Smith, Arkansas

Kristen Robertson has been an Arkansas Children's Hospital patient for more than 18 years.

In 1990, when Kristen was in the womb, her parents went for a routine ultrasound and heard some shocking news. The ultrasound showed a narrowing of Kristen’s aorta in her heart.

“We were lucky to find this out prior to delivery, so that plans could be made, not only for her birth, but also for our family,” says Kristen’s mother, Pam. “Because we live in Fort Smith, we decided to deliver Kristen in Little Rock, where we would be closer to Arkansas Children's Hospital.”

After birth, Kristen was transported to ACH, where she underwent surgery. When she was 3 months old, she returned to ACH for one more open heart surgery – this one to patch a hole in her heart. Following her second surgery, Kristen rebounded quickly.

As she grew older, she continued to visit ACH for annual check-ups, but these visits were usually short because she was doing so well. Kristen faced no physical limitations due to her surgeries. She participated in dance, gymnastics, softball, basketball, volleyball, cheerleading and track.

She continued her annual check-ups, and at age 13, right before a national volleyball tournament, her doctors noticed something wrong with her heart. She needed an additional surgery to repair a defect in her aorta.

“As a parent, dealing with your child having to undergo a procedure like this is frightening,” says Pam. “The difference between her earlier surgeries as an infant and this one was that, at age 13, she was frightened, too.”

Kristen’s successful surgery allowed her to continue her life as a healthy teenager. She still visits ACH for annual check-ups, and her condition may require a valve replacement in the future.

“Care for adults with congenital heart defects is a specialty not always available from adult cardiologists,” says Pam. “Fortunately, ACH continues to provide care for heart patients even as adults. We are truly blessed to have access to such a facility.”

Kristen graduated from high school in May 2008 and is currently attending the University of Central Arkansas. She is majoring in biology and hopes to become a cardiovascular surgery assistant when she graduates.