Two Hearts, One Journey: A Doctor’s Lifelong Care Across Generations

At 20 weeks pregnant, Kacie B. heard the words she never expected to hear: her baby had the same dangerous heart condition she had been born with. 

In an instant, she was flooded with emotions. But, amidst the fear, Kacie knew who she could turn to: her childhood heart doctor. 

Mitchel Alpert, M.D., pediatric cardiology division chief at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, had helped guide Kacie through her own journey decades earlier.

A Hole in the Heart

Born in 1991, Kacie was born with an atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD), a complex hole in the center of her heart. 

“My pediatrician listened to my heart and said ‘she needs to see a cardiologist now,’” Kacie recalls the story being told to her. 

“My mom drove to Dr. Alpert’s office, and he diagnosed me with this AVSD. I would then begin my whole odyssey with Dr. Alpert’s office.” 

What is an Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD)?

A condition you are born with, AVSD occurs when a baby’s heart does not form correctly. Normally, the heart has a wall that separates the right and left sides. With AVSD, there is a hole in the center of this wall; this makes the heart work much harder to pump blood.

A Doctor Who Cared

Following open-heart surgery at a Boston children's hospital, Kacie's post-operative care was managed by Dr. Alpert for the next 30 years. He was more than just her doctor. He knew about her life, her school and her dreams.

When Kacie wanted to start a family of her own, Dr. Alpert began to transition her to an adult specialist, knowing her needs were evolving beyond his pediatric expertise. 

“One of the things we appreciated was his honesty in recognizing that he might not be the appropriate provider at that point and sending me to someone who was,” she says. But as fate would have it, their journey together was far from over. 

Worries for Her Baby

During her 20-week pregnancy scan, she found out her son, James, had the same heart defect she did.

The first person she called was Dr. Alpert. “I think I just found that I needed that support from the person that I trusted the most with how to process the information,” she explains.

Unexpected Complications

When James was born, the situation was more dire than anticipated – his AVSD was significantly more complex than his mother’s, and he had to be transferred to an out-of-state hospital.

The right ventricle in James’ heart was larger than the left, and they were told that he would need multiple surgeries, and possibly a transplant later in life. 

Feeling lost and terrified with their critically ill newborn, Kacie and husband Andrew remained in constant contact with Dr. Alpert, sending him their son’s medical records. He and his colleagues reviewed the scans and made a call that would change everything.

A Doctor’s Advice

Dr. Alpert told the couple, “I’m not in a position to tell you what you should do for your child in this particular case, but the decisions you make now will impact James for the rest of his life – and if I were you, I’d go to Boston (the same children’s hospital that operated on Kacie, and a leading pediatric open heart surgical program).”

“I kind of got chills because we were talking to Dr. Alpert and he told us, ‘You have to go to Boston,’” Kacie remembers. “I called my dad, and I said, ‘We have to go to Boston.’ And my dad said, ‘Whatever Dr. Alpert says, we're doing.’”

James was airlifted to the children’s hospital in Boston, and the surgeons performed a biventricular repair, saving both of James’s ventricles and giving him the chance at a life no one thought possible.

“If James had a one-ventricle repair, he would have had a much different pathway through life with a much higher risk, including multiple surgeries as a toddler,” Dr. Alpert reflects.

A Grateful Family

“We wouldn't have gone to Boston if it weren't for Dr. Alpert,” Kacie states emphatically. “The outcome of James’ surgery was nothing that anyone ever thought was possible. Truly, if it wasn't for him making that recommendation, James' life, and that of our family, would be very different.”

Today, 2-year-old James is a thriving toddler, followed closely by the same doctor who saved his mother’s life. 

“And it’s really satisfying that while a family may rely on the complex surgical expertise of a specialty program, like they have in Boston, many of these children will come back and remain under my care for many years,” adds Dr. Alpert. “People trust us and depend on us. It is truly our calling.” 

“It’s like a family there,” Kacie says. “I have trust in them with both my life and my son's life.” 

“I remember Kacie’s dad 30-some years ago. He wasn’t going to leave his little girl in the hands of someone he didn’t trust. Dr. Alpert earned his trust, and now it’s come full circle with the care of his grandson,” says Sue Lesser, a practice manager at Dr. Alpert’s office.

This enduring relationship has given Kacie a profound sense of gratitude and a clear perspective on what matters. “Every single time we go visit Dr. Alpert, I don't really know what to bring him as a gift, because what do you give someone who literally gives your child life?”

Next Steps & Resources: 

• Meet our source: Mitchel Alpert, M.D.
• Make an appointment online with a doctor near you, or call 800-822-8905.
• Learn more about pediatric cardiology at Hackensack Meridian Health.