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Published: Sunday, July 29, 2007

12-year-old Krista is all about heart

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Krista prays every night for the families of those who donated their hearts to her.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

STRUTHERS — "Mommy, am I dying?"

Those were the first words of 12-year-old Krista McArdle Brown when she revived after passing out because of her bad heart.

"She said if she was dying, she wanted me and Eric [her stepdad-to-be] and siblings to know that she loves us," said Krista's mother, Miranda McArdle of Struthers.

"The hardest thing to watch was her fear of dying. It was heartbreaking," Miranda said.

Krista, now 13, is all about heart.

The tiny seventh-grader with the shoulder-length, strawberry-blond hair, suffering from coronary artery disease since birth, has looked death in the eye while waiting for her new heart and smiled through her tears and fear.

She received her second new heart May 24 at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and now, while doctors are working to keep her body from rejecting that new heart, she's still smiling.

Smiling through numerous biopsies (heart cathertizations) to determine if her body is accepting or rejecting her new heart.

Smiling through the pain of a collapsed lung and the roller-coaster ride of hope when she is doing well and being scared when things are not going well.

Down days

But, as might be expected, she does sometimes get down.

Krista can become a little grumpy because of the large doses of steroids she receives to fight the rejection; and the steroids have also triggered diabetes, requiring insulin shots that she gives herself, Miranda said.

And, her mother said, Krista misses her family "terribly" when she is in the hospital or at Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh and separated from them.

"She always wants to go home and fight with her sister, Brittany "BB", 12, and hold her baby brother, Eric Jr., 21 months, and see Nichole [Miranda's foster daughter]," Miranda said.

And for the time being at least, Krista has gotten her wish.

Her latest biopsy showed improvement, and she is home in Struthers for about a month until the next biopsy, family members said.

"Krista is a brave little girl and it takes a lot to make her cry. She has only cried a few times from pain or being scared," said her mother.

"She was so happy to get her new heart and even did a dance. But, when reality set in, she cried for the loss of someone's loved one who died to save her life.

"She swears that the donor is her guardian angel, along with the first donor even though that heart is not in her anymore. She prays every night for both families," Miranda said.

When she's better

When she gets better, Krista said she wants to "go see my grammy, and grampy and my aunts and uncles and cousins ... and help my mom have a birthday party for 'BB.' She [BB] stayed with me most of the time, and she deserves a big party from me."

Except for her health, Krista is just like most other girls her age.

One of her wishes is to "go to the mall when my mom saves some money for me and BB."

When she is out of the hospital and feeling better, Krista wants "PIZZA!" and "I WANT TO GO SWIMMING!!!," she wrote in an e-mail.

Krista's ordeal began when she was born Jan. 20, 1994. She was diagnosed with hypoplastic left ventricle disease, necessitating her first life-saving heart transplant Feb. 20, 1994, at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh,

According to the Texas Heart Institute, hypoplastic left heart syndrome is the most common cause of death from heart disease during the first week of life.

The left ventricle and the aorta are small and underdeveloped and unable to supply the body with enough blood.

Problems arise

Krista got along pretty well with her new heart for about a decade. But, then it began dropping beats and she started experiencing rejection, said her mother, who eventually pulled her out of regular school and began home-schooling her through Classrooms Unlimited on the Internet.

Before that, she attended Struthers Middle School, where she was a Little Wildcat cheerleader and a member of the dance line.

Krista's fifth-grade teacher, Linda Durochia, who also taught Krista's mother and the child's Aunt Chrystal, remembers her as a "sweet girl who did her best and was a delight to have in the classroom."

Krista loves reading, and science is her favorite subject, her mother said.

In fact, Krista she said wants to go to Youngstown State University when she grows up and become a doctor "to help other kids."

She also wants to write a book, with her roommate at Children's Hospital, Tiaershea (whom Krista calls Tee Tee) Cornelius, 14, from Buffalo, N.Y., who had a heart transplant there May 11.

They want to write the book "to help other kids who are scared about getting a heart transplant and help them find a friend who is going through the same thing, because it helps ... like me and Tee Tee," Krista said.

Getting through hard times

Miranda, who used to do waitress work, has stayed home the past couple of years to take care of Krista.

"We knew she was getting sicker, and we didn't want to leave her alone. She had a pacemaker, defibrillator and three stents placed in her heart. She would tire very easily, had chest pains and didn't have a lot of energy," her mother said.

When she got to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, she was so fortunate to find Tee Tee, who became her best friend.

"They bonded instantly, and the two of them helped each other through it all. The doctors even had Tee Tee visit Krista in intensive care when she [Krista] wasn't doing well after her transplant, and she started doing better," Miranda said.

Now Tee Tee is back home in Buffalo and doing well, and Krista has to face the future without her best friend, though they keep in touch with telephone calls.

Krista is having a particularly tough time with rejection because she built up antibodies to certain tissues with the first transplant, said her mother.

Regardless of the problems they face, Miranda said words cannot express her gratitude to the people who gave Krista a second chance at life.

"I am so grateful to see my little girl getting better. God has really looked after her," Miranda said.

Helping her

Also among Krista's favorite things are going on the Internet and visiting millsberry.com, a Web site for young people, and cotaforkristam.com.

COTA (Children's Organ Transplant Association) is a national charity that helps transplant patients and their families organize events to help pay the often overwhelming expenses that accompany the transplant operation and other issues, such as travel, lodging, medicines and missing work.

Cotaforkristam.com features Krista's picture and a brief story about her.

COTA said volunteers are needed to assist with fund-raising activities for Krista and her family. Individuals and groups interested in more information can contact Michelle Shadley, Krista's aunt and campaign coordinator, at (330) 201-5693 or at baronshad@sssnet.com.

Also, donations may be made in person at any Sky Bank branch location using the account name "cota for krista m," which was established in a Sky Bank in Bloomington, Ind., or mailed to the Children's Organ Transplant Association, 2501 COTA Drive, Bloomington, Ind. 47403. Checks or money orders should be made payable to COTA, with "In Honor of Krista McArdle" written on the memo line of the check. Secure credit card donations are also accepted online at www.cota.org.

Thanking donors

After her transplant, Krista was on blood thinners and had some bleeding issues and needed several transfusions.

"I want to thank everyone who has donated blood to save people like my daughter," Miranda said.

And to anyone who is thinking about donating to help with Krista's medical bills, Miranda said:

"I would just thank them from the bottom of our hearts for even just thinking about it. Things have been really rough, and any kind of help is appreciated so much. It means so much to us that people are reaching out to us in our time of need.

"This new heart is giving my daughter another chance at a wonderful life. It means the world to us that there are so many people who care. I can't even put into words how grateful and thankful we are. I would also like to thank our family, friends and the communities of Struthers, Wooster and Mantua for their love and support."

alcorn@vindy.com

Editor's note: Krista McArdle Brown and her mother, Miranda, were interviewed via e-mail and in person at Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh, where they stay when Krista needs tests or to be close to the hospital.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Krista prays every night for the families of those who donated their hearts to her.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

STRUTHERS — "Mommy, am I dying?"

Those were the first words of 12-year-old Krista McArdle Brown when she revived after passing out because of her bad heart.

"She said if she was dying, she wanted me and Eric [her stepdad-to-be] and siblings to know that she loves us," said Krista's mother, Miranda McArdle of Struthers.

"The hardest thing to watch was her fear of dying. It was heartbreaking," Miranda said.

Krista, now 13, is all about heart.

The tiny seventh-grader with the shoulder-length, strawberry-blond hair, suffering from coronary artery disease since birth, has looked death in the eye while waiting for her new heart and smiled through her tears and fear.

She received her second new heart May 24 at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and now, while doctors are working to keep her body from rejecting that new heart, she's still smiling.

Smiling through numerous biopsies (heart cathertizations) to determine if her body is accepting or rejecting her new heart.

Smiling through the pain of a collapsed lung and the roller-coaster ride of hope when she is doing well and being scared when things are not going well.

Down days

But, as might be expected, she does sometimes get down.

Krista can become a little grumpy because of the large doses of steroids she receives to fight the rejection; and the steroids have also triggered diabetes, requiring insulin shots that she gives herself, Miranda said.

And, her mother said, Krista misses her family "terribly" when she is in the hospital or at Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh and separated from them.

"She always wants to go home and fight with her sister, Brittany "BB", 12, and hold her baby brother, Eric Jr., 21 months, and see Nichole [Miranda's foster daughter]," Miranda said.

And for the time being at least, Krista has gotten her wish.

Her latest biopsy showed improvement, and she is home in Struthers for about a month until the next biopsy, family members said.

"Krista is a brave little girl and it takes a lot to make her cry. She has only cried a few times from pain or being scared," said her mother.

"She was so happy to get her new heart and even did a dance. But, when reality set in, she cried for the loss of someone's loved one who died to save her life.

"She swears that the donor is her guardian angel, along with the first donor even though that heart is not in her anymore. She prays every night for both families," Miranda said.

When she's better

When she gets better, Krista said she wants to "go see my grammy, and grampy and my aunts and uncles and cousins ... and help my mom have a birthday party for 'BB.' She [BB] stayed with me most of the time, and she deserves a big party from me."

Except for her health, Krista is just like most other girls her age.

One of her wishes is to "go to the mall when my mom saves some money for me and BB."

When she is out of the hospital and feeling better, Krista wants "PIZZA!" and "I WANT TO GO SWIMMING!!!," she wrote in an e-mail.

Krista's ordeal began when she was born Jan. 20, 1994. She was diagnosed with hypoplastic left ventricle disease, necessitating her first life-saving heart transplant Feb. 20, 1994, at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh,

According to the Texas Heart Institute, hypoplastic left heart syndrome is the most common cause of death from heart disease during the first week of life.

The left ventricle and the aorta are small and underdeveloped and unable to supply the body with enough blood.

Problems arise

Krista got along pretty well with her new heart for about a decade. But, then it began dropping beats and she started experiencing rejection, said her mother, who eventually pulled her out of regular school and began home-schooling her through Classrooms Unlimited on the Internet.

Before that, she attended Struthers Middle School, where she was a Little Wildcat cheerleader and a member of the dance line.

Krista's fifth-grade teacher, Linda Durochia, who also taught Krista's mother and the child's Aunt Chrystal, remembers her as a "sweet girl who did her best and was a delight to have in the classroom."

Krista loves reading, and science is her favorite subject, her mother said.

In fact, Krista she said wants to go to Youngstown State University when she grows up and become a doctor "to help other kids."

She also wants to write a book, with her roommate at Children's Hospital, Tiaershea (whom Krista calls Tee Tee) Cornelius, 14, from Buffalo, N.Y., who had a heart transplant there May 11.

They want to write the book "to help other kids who are scared about getting a heart transplant and help them find a friend who is going through the same thing, because it helps ... like me and Tee Tee," Krista said.

Getting through hard times

Miranda, who used to do waitress work, has stayed home the past couple of years to take care of Krista.

"We knew she was getting sicker, and we didn't want to leave her alone. She had a pacemaker, defibrillator and three stents placed in her heart. She would tire very easily, had chest pains and didn't have a lot of energy," her mother said.

When she got to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, she was so fortunate to find Tee Tee, who became her best friend.

"They bonded instantly, and the two of them helped each other through it all. The doctors even had Tee Tee visit Krista in intensive care when she [Krista] wasn't doing well after her transplant, and she started doing better," Miranda said.

Now Tee Tee is back home in Buffalo and doing well, and Krista has to face the future without her best friend, though they keep in touch with telephone calls.

Krista is having a particularly tough time with rejection because she built up antibodies to certain tissues with the first transplant, said her mother.

Regardless of the problems they face, Miranda said words cannot express her gratitude to the people who gave Krista a second chance at life.

"I am so grateful to see my little girl getting better. God has really looked after her," Miranda said.

Helping her

Also among Krista's favorite things are going on the Internet and visiting millsberry.com, a Web site for young people, and cotaforkristam.com.

COTA (Children's Organ Transplant Association) is a national charity that helps transplant patients and their families organize events to help pay the often overwhelming expenses that accompany the transplant operation and other issues, such as travel, lodging, medicines and missing work.

Cotaforkristam.com features Krista's picture and a brief story about her.

COTA said volunteers are needed to assist with fund-raising activities for Krista and her family. Individuals and groups interested in more information can contact Michelle Shadley, Krista's aunt and campaign coordinator, at (330) 201-5693 or at baronshad@sssnet.com.

Also, donations may be made in person at any Sky Bank branch location using the account name "cota for krista m," which was established in a Sky Bank in Bloomington, Ind., or mailed to the Children's Organ Transplant Association, 2501 COTA Drive, Bloomington, Ind. 47403. Checks or money orders should be made payable to COTA, with "In Honor of Krista McArdle" written on the memo line of the check. Secure credit card donations are also accepted online at www.cota.org.

Thanking donors

After her transplant, Krista was on blood thinners and had some bleeding issues and needed several transfusions.

"I want to thank everyone who has donated blood to save people like my daughter," Miranda said.

And to anyone who is thinking about donating to help with Krista's medical bills, Miranda said:

"I would just thank them from the bottom of our hearts for even just thinking about it. Things have been really rough, and any kind of help is appreciated so much. It means so much to us that people are reaching out to us in our time of need.

"This new heart is giving my daughter another chance at a wonderful life. It means the world to us that there are so many people who care. I can't even put into words how grateful and thankful we are. I would also like to thank our family, friends and the communities of Struthers, Wooster and Mantua for their love and support."

alcorn@vindy.com

Editor's note: Krista McArdle Brown and her mother, Miranda, were interviewed via e-mail and in person at Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh, where they stay when Krista needs tests or to be close to the hospital.

Sunday, July 29, 2007
"Mommy, am I dying?" Those were the first words of 12-year-old Krista McArdle Brown when she revived after passing out...

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