Tiny Little Hearts Podcast: CHD and Heart Mom Life
Tiny Little Hearts Podcast is your honest, unfiltered space for the CHD (congenital heart disease / congenital heart defect) community. Whether you're a heart parent, a CHD warrior, or someone newly navigating a complex congenital heart diagnosis — this podcast was made for you.
Hosted by Katelyn McMahan, a mom of three girls whose world changed the moment she learned her youngest daughter had complex cardiac abnormalities. She searched for real stories — kids with complex CHD, single ventricle hearts, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and other congenital heart defects— not the polished highlight reels, but the honest, raw truth of what this life actually looks like. She wanted to prepare her heart for the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Each episode features conversations with heart parents, CHD adults, providers, and others navigating the deeply real world of congenital heart disease, open heart surgery, and medical complexity. You'll hear practical advice, emotional honesty, and stories that remind you that you are not alone in this journey. Because this life is hard — and you deserve a place to feel seen.
Topics covered include: CHD diagnosis, heart surgery recovery, parenting a medically complex child, grief and resilience, NICU and PCICU experiences, fontan circulation, cardiac catheterization, and life after a congenital heart defect diagnosis.
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Episodes
31 episodes
30. Congenital Heart Disease & A Broken System: The Innovation That's Changing Everything
In this episode, Katelyn sits down with Tim Nelson, MD, PhD and CEO of HeartWorks — a nonprofit at the forefront of congenital heart disease (CHD) innovation. What unfolds is a candid, unflinching look at why the healthcare system is failing CH...
29. A Mother’s Day Message for the Heart Moms
This Mother's Day episode is dedicated to every heart mom navigating the unique weight of medical motherhood and congenital heart disease parenting. Katelyn reflects on honoring the heart moms who came before us — including her own grandmoth...
28. Mom Guilt After a CHD Diagnosis
Summary:Today, Katelyn sits down with Staci Reznik — mom to 10-year-old Davi, advocate, and someone who knows firsthand that no amount of medical expertise can prepare you for the moment you become a patient.Staci...
27. Host to Host: Two Medical Mamas on NICU Life, CHD, and Milestones
This week on Tiny Little Hearts, Katelyn sits down with Alison Winter — host of the Trauma Mamas podcast — for a special host-to-host conversation. Both are navigating medically complex motherhood from different diagnoses (CHD and BPD), but the...
26. Grieving the Pregnancy You Didn't Get: CHD, Faith, and the Feelings Nobody Talks About
What happens when the pregnancy you dreamed of looks nothing like the one you're living? In this solo episode, Katelyn gets honest about something that doesn't get talked about enough in the medical motherhood world — grieving the pregnancy and...
25. It’s Not Your Season…Right Now: Half a Heart With a Full Life
In this episode, host Katelyn McMahan sits down with Liz Gaston — heart mom, CHD advocate, and co-founder of Project 1 in 100 — for a deeply honest conversation about life after a prenatal congenital heart disease diagnosis. Liz shares her j...
24. More Than CHD: A 13-Year Friendship Between a Heart Mom and Adult CHDer
In this episode, I’m joined by Lauren and Lauren. One, a heart mom, and the other, an adult CHDer. For Lauren Watson and Lauren Bednarz, that one message 13 years ago became the foundation of one of the deepest friendships either of them has...
23. Stronger Hearts Foundation: Surgery Support Every CHD Family Needs
Summary:Every CHD parent remembers the moment the world stopped. The diagnosis. The surgery date. The waiting room. But what happens to the family holding it all together while their child is in the OR?In this epi...
22. The Sibling Side of CHD: From Lila’s Heart
SummaryIn this episode, Katelyn has a conversation with her 9 year old daughter, Lila, who shares about her experience being a sibling of a child with heart problems. She shares insights on family resilience, emotional processi...
21. How To Prepare For a Cardiology Appointment
SummaryIn this conversation, Katelyn discusses how to prepare for cardiology appointments, focusing on the importance of being armed with questions and emotional readiness. She emphasizes the need for preparation in three key a...
20. Caregiver Burnout: The Raw Reality
In this episode, Katelyn McMahan discusses the often-overlooked topic of caregiver burnout, sharing her personal experiences and insights. She emphasizes the commonality of burnout among caregivers, the emotional toll it takes, and the importan...
19: How We Kept Our Marriage Strong When Statistics Told Us Otherwise
In this conversation, Katelyn McMahan and her husband discuss the challenges of maintaining a strong marriage while navigating the complexities of raising medically complex children. They share personal experiences, strategies for communicat...
18: Meadow and Her Four-Leaf Clover Heart
In this episode, host Katelyn McMahan welcomes Sarah Boes to celebrate the release of Sarah's children's book, 'Meadow and Her Four Leaf Clover Heart' launching February 8th, 2026. Together, they explore how the right story at the right time...
17. Parenting Special Kids Network: Turning Experience into Support
In this episode, Katelyn McMahan speaks with Jeff Thibault, co-founder of Parenting Special Kids Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families raising children with disabilities in Arizona. Jeff shares his personal journey,...
16. Lindsay’s Transplant Story: Where Grief and Joy Coexist
Lindsay Alano and her mother Susan Barth share their journey through congenital heart disease, the challenges of growing up with a serious medical condition, and the transformative experience of undergoing a heart and liver transplant as an ...
15. 2026: What I'm Continuing and What I'm Leaving Behind
In this conversation, Katelyn discusses some of the things she has thought about continuing in the new year, and some things that she hopes to leave behind. She reflects on her experiences as a parent of a medically complex child, particular...
14. Hearts Like Mine: Choosing How You View Your Story
In this powerful episode, Katelyn sits down with Garrett Deiro, a congenital heart disease (CHD) survivor who has a diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot and founder of Hearts Like Mine blog. Garrett opens up about his journey through four open h...
13. When “Fed is Best”- Our Feeding Journey From Tube to Table
In this personal episode, host Katelyn shares details about the feeding journey- from challenges to small wins with her daughter Goldie, who was born with congenital heart defects (CHDs). From navigating tube dependence to completing an inte...
12. From Patients, For Patients: How EmpowerMyCH is Transforming the CHD Journey
This episode could truly be a game changer for our CHD community. As parents and patients, we spend so much time navigating the challenges of congenital heart disease in the present — managing appointments, procedures, and uncertainty. But many...
11. Hospital to Home: The Loneliness After Discharge
In this solo episode, Katelyn opens up about a topic that many medical moms experience but rarely talk about: the profound isolation that comes with transitioning from hospital to home. While everyone celebrates discharge day, the reality of ca...
10. A Cure for Cora: From HLHS Diagnosis to Delivering Hope with Community and Advocacy
In this conversation, Katelyn McMahan speaks with Allison Millar, a fellow heart mom, about her daughter Cora's journey with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Cora is now three and a half, and has undergone two surgeries. Allison and Kate...
9. Heart Like a Mother: A CHD Journey to Community Mission with Amelia Woods
In this conversation, Katelyn McMahan speaks with Amelia Woods, a fellow heart mom and founder of Heart Like a Mother. They discuss Amelia's son Henderson's journey with congenital heart defects, the importance of community support for parents ...
8. The Quarterback of Complex Care: How Primary Care is More Than Check-Ups with Dr. Jennifer Cropp
In this conversation, host Katelyn McMahan speaks with Dr. Jennifer Cropp about her personal journey with her son's heart condition and the importance of building connections in pediatric care. They discuss navigating the complexities of health...
7. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: The Development of HeartCharged
In this conversation, Katelyn sits down with Hannah Keime from HeartCharged. Hannah Keime was unexpectedly diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) her first month of high school. A year later, she received an implanted defibrillator du...
6. Fetal In-Utero Intervention: Our Boston Story
In this episode, Katelyn McMahan and her husband recount their transformative journey to Boston Children's Hospital for a life-saving in utero procedure for their daughter Goldie, who was diagnosed with congenital heart defects. They shar...