A diagnosis of ASD (a hole in the heart)...
And 10 short weeks later, open-heart surgery.
All in plenty of time for the first day of kindergarten.
Brooklyn Benedikt, pediatric open-heart surgery patient
For many parents, the summer before their child enters kindergarten is filled with excitement and anticipation. For Gregg and Andrea Benedikt, that summer was filled with fear. Their daughter, Brooklyn, had to have open-heart surgery to fix a hole in her heart.
Ten weeks earlier, during a routine pediatrician visit for Brooklyn, a heart murmur had been discovered. "It's something no parent should ever have to hear – your daughter needs open-heart surgery," said Andrea Benedikt, Brooklyn's mother, "but the minute we met the surgical team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, we knew we had made the right decision."
The hospital's Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Suvro Sett, M.D., performed the procedure. Given her age and the size of the hole, Dr. Sett had to take special care to ensure success. Following the operation, with her parents by her side, Brooklyn awakened, looked up at her father, and said, "Dad, I didn't feel a thing!"
The experience had a profound impact on the entire Benedikt family. They vowed to do all they could "to help this wonderful hospital." Since then, the family has participated in the hospital's annual Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Radiothon on 100.7 WHUD and raised close to $10,000 for its Go the Distance walk and family fun day.
Perhaps the most touching effort occurred on Brooklyn's 5th birthday. She told her parents that she wanted to donate all of her birthday presents to the "sick boys and girls" at the hospital. Talk about a little girl with a big heart.
Learn more about Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center.
