Back to School Q&A Panel

This week, we are continuing to learn about how CHD affects people in their work, or at school. This is an interview that was conducted back in August 2017, but is still relevant to our topic today. 

 

Congratulations on the start of a new school year! Please introduce yourself. What grade will you or your child be entering?

Frances: My name is Frances and I volunteer as the blog coordinator for CCHD. My husband and I live in California and have a confidant and outgoing 3-year old daughter who was born with severe mitral valve prolapse and a VSD. She had a very successful open heart surgery at 8 months old. She’ll be starting a couple mornings of preschool this year.

Margaret: Hi! My name is Margaret and I’m a heart mom to an awesome 8-year old heart hero named Kieran who will be starting 2nd grade. We’ve been through Birth to 3, as well as the IEP and 504 Plan process. I am also a parent adviser to our local hospital’s School Intervention Program.

Jack: Hello, my name is Jack Radandt and I was born April 15th, 2001, with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). I had three open heart surgeries by the age of three, Norwood, Glenn, and Fontan. I lived a pretty normal life after my Fontan surgery. I was able to attend school, and even keep up with the other kids my age. At age eleven I experienced heart failure. I went to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and was placed on the transplant list in October of 2012. I then needed to be on a device to bridge me to transplant. In December of 2012, I had surgery for a device called Heartware Ventricular Assist Device or (HVAD). I was the first single ventricle child in the United States to have the device and second in the world. I was also the first single ventricle child in the world to go home on this device. I had the HVAD for five months, until I received a heart transplant on May 20th, 2013.

What are you or is your child looking forward to most this school year?

Jack: I am looking forward to all the speaking events that I was able to get this school year.

Margaret: Kieran says, “gym!”

Frances: Making new friends. She has the ability to make a friend wherever we go, even when we run errands!

Do you notify your or your child’s school or teacher about your or your child’s heart condition? If so, how do you go about doing so?

Margaret: We definitely do. I’ve learned that teachers and school staff really appreciate being informed. Not every CHD student will need an IEP or a 504 plan, but we have both. Each teacher gets documentation about his HLHS, health, and classroom needs. Each year, I’ve met with school staff before school starts to make sure we’re all on the same page and to answer any questions. He has an excellent team at school that is communicative and proactive. We don’t just think about the regular classroom teacher — it is important to have a plan in place so that the school nurse, office staff, lunch and recess supervisors, gym teacher, substitute teachers, and any other school professional who might work with Kieran be informed of his health plan.

Jack: I do notify my school’s faculty, staff, and students of my condition, and I am very open about my scar and surgeries.

Frances: When filling out her general medical information for the preschool, we noted her cardiologist in addition to her pediatrician. She also has a medical device identification card for her annuloplasty ring in case any emergency arises affecting her heart. While our daughter has zero restrictions and no known issues otherwise, we included a copy of this card for the preschool and let the director know about it as a precaution.

Do you or your child have any limitations or require medication during school? If so, how do you handle this?

Margaret: Kieran has HLHS, and his cardiologist has requested that he stay indoors when it is below freezing. On these days, he gets to pick a classmate to stay inside and play board games with. He also has an adaptive PhyEd teacher working with him in gym class. He has a water bottle with him all day to prevent dehydration. For fire drills, he has instructions in his health plan to be allowed to wear a coat outside if it’s cold out. There are certain things we take on a case-by-case basis, such as field trips and walking trips.

Frances: Our daughter doesn’t have any limitations or medications, though the future is uncertain. Her heart will need to be monitored more closely during puberty as her device may be affected during this exponential growth period.

Jack: I don’t have to deal with this because I take my medication right before I go to school and right before I go to bed.

What reaction do you get from the staff if you notify them? Do you feel this affects how the teacher and/or staff interacts with you or your child?

Frances: They thanked me for sharing the information. They haven’t mentioned it otherwise, and from what I’ve seen do not give her any special treatment.

Margaret: We’re fortunate to have a neighborhood school that fosters a very positive learning environment for everyone, and is innovative about classroom adaptations. When we’ve notified them, they’ve responded very positively with a can-do attitude. Last year at our back-to-school meeting, not only did Kieran’s new teacher attended, but the office staff, principal, school nurse, and almost everyone involved with his IEP. Shedding light on the HLHS and the secondary challenges we’ve faced helps them understand how to meet Kieran’s needs better, as well as helps them understand why he (and we as parents) sometimes act the way we do.

Jack: Some of the faculty and staff that find out about my condition feel very uncomfortable about the whole situation.

How open are you or is your child about CHD with peers at school? How does this affect your or your child’s relationships?

Jack: I am very open about my condition. This is my life and I’m not ashamed of it at all.

Frances: Since she’s still very young, our daughter doesn’t make a point to either hide or reveal it. While I want her to be proud of her scar, I also want to allow her to talk about CHD on her own terms whether that’s mentioning it to close friends or being a vocal advocate. She is a naturally confidant and extroverted individual, so it doesn’t seem to bother her when someone points it out or asks. For now we focus on making sure she knows her scar is something good and how to respond in situations. I don’t make any consideration with clothing when it comes to her scar, choosing her outfits based on the weather and her own personal preferences.

Margaret: Kieran is very sensitive about his heart condition. We don’t actively keep it a secret, but we don’t actively volunteer information about it to his peers, either. He feels very strongly that he is a “normal” child and wants to be seen that way. Everyone is different, and I know many heart parents who believe it’s important for their child to be CHD advocates, but I feel it’s important for now for him to feel comfortable at school and have it be a “safe space” for him to feel normal. He sometimes does participate in CHD activities with me outside of school, but he doesn’t understand why they’re important. He sees his “heart friends” as regular friends. Many heart kids don’t truly know the gravity of some of their heart defects until they are much older. A cause that affects him much more, and has for years, is hunger and his desire to see everyone in the world have enough food to eat. I think that’s wonderful. We should all be able to focus on areas of need that spark our sense of fairness.

What is your or your child’s favorite subject or activity?

Frances: She loves the arts – dancing, painting and music.

Jack: My favorite subject in school is biology.

Margaret: Definitely gym. He also likes math and music.

What, if any, concerns do you or your child have in regards to CHD for the school year?

Margaret: My biggest concern is that somewhere, at some point, there might be a breakdown in coordination at school. I worry most when there is a substitute teacher in the classroom, because I’m not informed of it, and I have no idea if they’ve read his 504 plan and understand it. Luckily, he comes into contact with many staff throughout the school day, and I think they all do a good job keeping an eye on him and all the students. Sometimes, because he wants to be seen as “normal” in front of his peers, he’s not as assertive as he should be. I also worry about rough play during recess. This has been a problem at times throughout the past school years, where he will be tackled or otherwise roughed up during normal play, which has resulted in some bruising because he is on blood thinners.

Frances: You would have no idea our daughter has CHD besides her scar, so my only concern is her peers setting her apart in a negative way because of it. Her preschool focuses very much on emotional competence and socialization in a play based setting, and what we liked most about it when touring was how respectful every child was to each other regardless of their differences.

Jack: I am in a very small school so I really have no concerns besides being ill.

If you or your child has a high sensitivity to illness due to CHD, how do you or your child combat this at school?

Frances: While she doesn’t have a high sensitivity, her pediatrician still errs on the side of caution by making sure she gets the first flu vaccination that comes in for the season which we are thankful for. We also chose a preschool with a smaller class size and a strong emphasis on cleanliness.

Jack: I am sick a lot so missing school is always a big concern.

Margaret: The school nurse, or sometimes the classroom teacher, is really great about informing us about illness at school. They will email us personally if a lot of kids are out sick, or with certain communicable illnesses requiring all parents at school to be notified, the school nurse sends home flyers. We are most concerned about things like strep and seasonal flu. If it’s an outbreak the classroom, we would most likely keep him home until it had passed. We use hand sanitizer, get a flu shot, and try to get enough sleep and eat healthy. We emphasize to Kieran the importance of good hygiene. His school has a great custodian and they are good about keeping the classroom and school wiped down.

What is your biggest hope for yourself or your child this school year?

Jack: To remain on honor role and avoid illnesses.

Margaret: That he will make more friends and feel more included socially. Not only is he an only child, but like many CHD kids, especially those with critical heart defects, he is a bit behind for his age socially. Add to that the fact that he easily tires during playground games and has to take breaks during physical activities, he sometimes feels frustrated that he can’t keep up with other kids, especially most of the boys. Of course, I also hope he has a great learning experience this year and finds areas of learning he really loves.

Frances: I hope she will be able to make new friendships and start a solid foundation of a love for learning!

What area(s) is your child most successful at school?

Frances: Since day one, my husband and I have never experienced separation issues with her. She’s very adaptable, confidant and according to her preschool teacher, not at all afraid to ask questions.

Margaret: He a wonderful singer, and is also very creative when it comes to visual art. Last year, he did after school Spanish and book club, which was good for him. He is successful at reading, although he pretends to think it’s “boring.”

Jack: Science class over any other classes.

Thank you all for joining us this past month thoughout the Back to School Series, and best wishes for the new school year!