04/17/2026
William received a heart transplant at just 10 months. Now 5, William's heart is healthy and he is full of energy. "He is a little spark plug and absolutely thriving," said his mom.
Head to the link in our comments to watch William's story or learn more below.
At their 20‑week anatomy scan, Katie and Betsy were referred to the specialists at Midwest Fetal Care Center (MWFCC), a collaboration between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota. At MWFCC, a fetal echocardiogram confirmed that Katie and Betsy’s unborn child had heterotaxy syndrome with multiple, severe heart defects. With a diagnosis, the care team worked with the family to plan the delivery and William’s treatment after birth. After being born, William was taken to the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) at Children’s Minnesota.
Tests in the CVICU showed that William’s heart defects were even more severe than expected. Even so, he was more stable than the team predicted. With a full understanding of his condition, the cardiovascular team determined that William was a strong candidate for a heart transplant.
After 304 long days of waiting, the call William and his parents were waiting for finally came – a new heart has been accepted for William and surgery was scheduled for the very next day.
