Living with a Single Ventricle Heart, But No Fontan

How can a 30-year-old Heart Warrior single ventricle survivor live without the Fontan? What special considerations need to be made when moving from Egypt to Canada? What are the biggest concerns when you fall out of cardiac care?

Ellen Banoub was born in Egypt 30 years ago. She is a Heart Warrior, diagnosed with a hypoplastic left ventricle, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), pulmonary atresia, and dextrocardia. Ellen has had two surgeries, a shunt operation at one year of age, and a half-Fontan when she was 11 years old. She moved to Canada in 2013. She is studying social services and academic English and hopes to study social work to help others with social and medical problems. She has three heart-healthy siblings. Her older sister is a doctor who takes care of Ellen's health. Ellen recently became an aunt to Molly, who was born in early 2022. Aside from studying and spending time with family, Ellen enjoys acting, watching movies, listening to music, and reading.

Ellen talks with Anna about how she was born with a single ventricle heart and had surgery abroad since she was unable to have the surgery in her homeland (Egypt). Ellen talks about how she eventually moved to Canada where she has been able to get the care she needed for her heart. She shares how she came to study social work and how working in this field is her new purpose in life.

Please visit our Social Media and Podcast pages:

Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-to-heart-with-anna/id1132261435?mt=2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HearttoHeartwithAnna/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hearttoheartwithanna/
MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/annajaworski
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnaJaworski
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPKwIU5M_YOxvtWepFR5Zw

Website: https://www.hug-podcastnetwork.com/

Music thanks to the Baby Blue Sound Collective - https://music.apple.com/us/album/home-tonight-forever/1201349904

If you enjoy this program and would like to be a Patron, please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/HeartToHeart