Through my affiliation with the Upstate Go Red For Women Campaign and my love of blogging here on this blog- I have been given the opportunity to blog nationally for the American Heart Association where I share about God, life, and living with 3 CHD's. What a way for God to allow me to use my passion of writing and praising Him! My most recent opportunity through this national blog was being given the privilege to interview a medical student at Yale who is getting both a doctorate as an MD and PHD. Her name is Ramak Khosravi.
She is working to be a surgeon researcher in cardio-thoracic surgery with a passion for children with CHD's. Her research project she is working on with a collaborative group of people at Yale, Ohio's Nationwide Children's Hospital, and in Pittsburgh, is a study using both mice and computational models to engineer vascular grafts for both children and adults with CHD's. This graft's goals are to effectively save the lives of many CHD victims by reducing costs and mainly to prevent repetitive surgeries.
How can multiple surgeries be prevented? The engineered composition of the vascular grafts are of polymers. Currently, as is much the same with my pending valvular replacements, vascular repairs are only temporary. This means that the child with the CHD will have to have recurring surgeries to have the vessel replaced. The problems with recurrent cardiac surgeries are that after the first surgery, the scar tissue formed internally forms adhesions- making the skin very tough and difficult, giving the heart scar tissue which is not the safest thing, as well as opening up a greater risk of infection post operative each time the chest cavity and heart are re-entered. The grafts currently being engineered and used are made of a material that do not degrade. What is desirable and future Dr. Khosravi is working to achieve with the team is to engineer arterial grafts from biodegradable polymers. At first- I thought- "Why would we want it to degrade, other than preventing multiple surgeries? What is achieved mechanically by the graft degrading?" I received the COOLEST answer- The graft degrades and is replaced with our own cells- so it grows with us as we grow!! It becomes our natural cells caring for us again instead of a man made device--which you all know by now I am insanely passionate about! And again, when this goal is achieved and implemented- it will save thousands of lives and give a longer life expectancy to CHD victims. If placed in a child- that child should theoretically only need the one surgery- eliminating the repetitive cycle and reducing many risks as well as costs. This brought tears to my eyes as she told me this with such passion. She stated, "It may not be a 5 year solution, but in the next couple of decades, this can be obtained and change thousands of lives."
The graft is multifaceted as well. It is able to help in cardiac patients with CHD's, but also those undergoing hemodialysis, CABG procedures, and by-pass. I find all of this fascinating. I listened to her explain the exact process and how she got started and about her passion.
But what was the best of all to me was how God blessed my heart. He allowed me to serve Him by conducting this interview so that I may write a national blog piece on it to serve others and give His hope to their lives. But every time God tells me to do something for Him- I find it is really for me- it feels like I am blessed more personally than what I do is a blessing to others. I'm sure God uses both aspects equally. But I am so thankful that God gives me joy and blessings in being obedient to His commands. You see, whenever I am on the news, whenever I speak to new people, or am in a large crowd or on a stage- I get very nervous. I am like the most outgoing Introvert ever. I love people but I'd be most comfortable in my own little shell. As I've said before- I knew God wanted me to serve Him and give Him glory when He first urged me to interview for the role I serve as a spokeswoman. I know He constantly is seeking glory through His vessel named Emily Gladden because the more nervous I get- the more determined I am to push that anxiety of mine away and do the best I can for my Savior. And He always shows me something that blows my mind as I obey and ignore my fears! I love being able to participate in these opportunities- but I am a shy girl! People do not see that or know I am shy (unless I tell them) because they see God- not me- if it were me...whew...it would at least be comical! ha!
Anyway- point is- God really blessed me today through this opportunity. My nerves went away instantly as I began conducting the interview. Ramak is about my age and she is so passionate about saving the lives of children. Her perspective was amazing. She told me that surgery was an instant way to impact a life in danger- but research, though it may take many years, is a way to save thousands of lives more permanately. Both are wonderful and inspiring and she is collaborating the two which is a rare field. She expressed that the reason why she loves the idea of long-term help for these patients is because she will be able to give a child another possible 50+ years of life and have a personal connection with them. She was passionate about knowing Dr.s in her field receive wedding invites from patients, and overall involvement in the personal life of a patient. Hearing this, I had to tell her she was so right. I explained to her about the time I sought out one of my cardiac surgeons. I may not have known anything about him or specifically what was performed surgically as a baby and child- but when I entered college, I had a revelation that I needed to thank all the doctors I could who saved my life. I wrote a letter to my 2nd heart surgeon of thanks. He was so touched and wanted to meet me as an adult and invited me to Charleston to his office to explain my surgeries and talk about life with me. I told her how amazing it was to have that experience so I look forward to her future of having patients become like family to her and thanked her for her passion.
Hearing her research goals, passion, and love for the CHD victim truly welled my eyes with tears of gratitude, joy, and emotion. Heart patients tend to be very emotional especially about life. I often tease about how emotional I am but honestly I am thankful to have a heart that cares so much about the gift of life.
What an amazing opportunity for a CHD victim like me. I told her I would be praying for her research and her and that God had given her interview time to me as a gift. And I can honestly say- I am not her patient but I will always feel a connection to her now. I've never met her, only had an hour long conversation on the phone--but her heart has touched mine.
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