MAriah's Story
Mariah was born with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. She’s had five surgeries repairing and replacing the mechanical valve that was put in her heart as an infant. Her latest surgery, to repair the aortic valve, was January 18th, 2013 at the Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. If heart issues weren’t enough, Mariah also has Factor XIII deficiency, a rare blood disorder that causes a severe bleeding tendency and poses many complications during surgery.
Along with heart and blood problems, Mariah recently has begun having issues with her left knee. It fills up with fluid and becomes very painful. Doctors were draining 100+ ml of fluid every 3-4 weeks. After months of suffering, Mariah was referred to a pediatric rheumatologist at the Children's Hospital where she was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.
In her 14 years, Mariah has had to deal with more struggles than most of us do in a lifetime. Despite rocky roads, her positivity and compassion is unshakable! Mariah is truly an inspiration to everyone she encounters.
Along with heart and blood problems, Mariah recently has begun having issues with her left knee. It fills up with fluid and becomes very painful. Doctors were draining 100+ ml of fluid every 3-4 weeks. After months of suffering, Mariah was referred to a pediatric rheumatologist at the Children's Hospital where she was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.
In her 14 years, Mariah has had to deal with more struggles than most of us do in a lifetime. Despite rocky roads, her positivity and compassion is unshakable! Mariah is truly an inspiration to everyone she encounters.