Jordyn T. | 2026 All-Star | Connecticut Children's Foundation

Life After Pulmonary Stenosis: Jordyn’s Story

Shortly after Jordyn was born, doctors detected a heart murmur. They assured her parents that it was likely a small hole that would close on its own. Jordyn’s older sister had also been born with a heart murmur that never required treatment, so Jordyn’s mother, Bethany, wasn’t worried.

Two days later, the murmur was still there, and the pediatrician urged Bethany to take Jordyn to Connecticut Children’s. There, pediatric cardiologist Olga Toro-Salazar, MD, delivered words no parent is prepared to hear: they weren’t going home. Jordyn needed an emergency procedure to treat pulmonary stenosis, a congenital heart defect in which the valve that carries blood from the heart to the lungs is dangerously narrow, forcing the heart to work much harder than it should.

Surgery at six days old

In Connecticut Children’s Catheterization Lab, the doctor made a small incision in Jordyn’s groin and inserted a long, thin tube into a blood vessel. Using sophisticated imaging, they guided that tube to the blocked valve and inserted a small balloon into the opening, inflating it to push the opening wider and allow the valve to begin functioning properly. Then they deflated the balloon, pulled the tube out, and stitched up the tiny incision.

From imaging, doctors initially believed the valve was partially closed. Once inside, they discovered it was 92 percent closed—far worse than expected. After the procedure, Jordyn was intubated for 12 hours, and respiratory therapists carefully cleared fluid from her lungs. Early the next morning, Jordyn woke up alert and ready to nurse.

In the months that followed, she returned to Connecticut Children’s frequently for cardiology visits—every three months, at first. As she continued to do well, her appointments were reduced to once a year. “That was wonderful, but also scary,” Bethany said.

On the one hand, we were ecstatic. On the other hand, we were terrified. What if a year is too long? What if something happens?”
Bethany, Jordyn's mom

A cardiologist in the making

Today, Jordyn is a confident high school freshman with a competitive personality. She plays volleyball and tap dances at an elite level—at the 2025 World Tap Championships in Prague, her team finished in 4th place. She coaches basketball alongside her dad for her younger brother’s team.

She excels in math and biology and belongs to her school’s Medical Minds Club, where students explore careers in healthcare. Her future goal? To become a pediatric cardiologist at Connecticut Children’s, inspired by the doctor who saved her life.

“The experience we’ve had at Connecticut Children’s has been full of hope,” Bethany said. “We always feel like family there. You’re always greeted with kindness, warmth, and welcome."

Even on the days when it’s really, really hard, you don’t feel alone.”
Bethany, Jordyn's mom

Paying it forward

Jordyn is a familiar face at fundraising events for Connecticut Children’s. She participated in her first HuskyTHON at the age of eight and, later that same year, was named the Children’s Miracle Network Champion for Connecticut Children’s. She went on to add JonaTHONs to her yearly calendar—and this year, created one at her own high school. She and her classmates raised over $4,110 to help her fellow patients.