Congenital heart defect
Savanna McCarthy’s journey began with a challenge few could ever imagine, and one her parents certainly never expected: a congenital heart defect.
Soon after being born, doctors discovered Savanna had a heart murmur and suggested that her mother, Amy Johnson, take her to a cardiologist at Children’s of Alabama for an ultrasound. “We literally went right after being discharged from the hospital,” Amy shared. “That’s when we found out she had so much more going on with her heart.”
The ultrasound revealed that Savanna was born with double outlet right ventricle (a condition in which the aorta and pulmonary artery don’t connect correctly), a ventricular septal defect (or VSD, a hole in the heart), a coarctation of the aortic arch (a narrowing of the aorta), and a sub-aortic stenosis (a condition that restricts blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta). “We found this out less than a week after she was born,” Amy said. “It was totally unexpected. I just remember asking the doctor if she was going to live. That’s all I could even ask.”
Just a few days later, Savanna was being prepped for her very first heart surgery to correct the aortic arch. A few months later, Savanna was back for open-heart surgery to reroute her double outlet right ventricle and patch the VSD hole. “Once she had that surgery, she started growing like a weed and was so much more active,” Amy said.
Unfortunately for Savanna, the heart surgeries didn’t end there. At 3 years old, she needed surgery to correct a blockage in her aortic valve. Three years later, she had surgery to open her aortic valve. “Between the surgeries, we were going back and forth to Children’s periodically for checkups,” Amy said.
When Savanna was in the seventh grade, she needed another open-heart surgery. An ultrasound showed that her blood flow was restricted, so she needed surgery to repair her aortic valve. “Dr. (James) Kirklin basically had to reconstruct her aortic valve because it wasn’t working properly,” Amy explained. “He did the surgery successfully, and it lasted for quite a while. But we knew at some point she would eventually have to get the valve replaced.”
That replacement surgery came in early 2024. On February 21, Savanna underwent surgery at Children’s. “It went just as expected and she got to go home when planned,” Amy added.
After Savanna went home, however, things unexpectedly changed. She began running a fever, and blood work determined that she had developed an infection. “Dr. (Hampton) Gray told us that the infection she developed wasn’t one normally seen with heart surgeries and that it was a stubborn infection,” Amy said. “Savanna went back to the hospital and was in ICU, and it was very up and down.”
The infection was so severe that it disintegrated a patch on Savanna’s aorta. “Dr. Gray came in and told us that she was actively dying, and it meant she had to go back in for another surgery,” Amy said. “They took her back at 11:30 that morning, and he came back out at 1 a.m. the next morning. He redid everything—the valve, everything—and it saved her life.”
In total, Savanna had about seven heart procedures over the course of 52 days. Once the final surgery was complete and the infection was gone, Savanna was able to go home, where she’s been ever since, “just living and enjoying life,” Amy added. Now 23, Savanna goes back for cardiology checkups every year, but she spends most of her time with her dogs, going to concerts with friends, and even preparing to be a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. “We could not have asked for better care for Savanna through this entire journey,” Amy said. “The care at Children’s was top notch, and everyone there was wonderful. From the surgeons to the doctors to the nurses on every floor, everyone obviously cared so much about ensuring Savanna got the care she needed.”
