When Raquel Curl looks at her one-year-old daughter, Rielle, she feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Her little girl, with her bright eyes, tiny hands, and infectious smile, is nothing short of a miracle. Born with a severe congenital heart defect, Rielle’s left ventricle was critically underdeveloped, meaning her heart could not pump oxygen-rich blood effectively. From the very first moment of her life, she faced a battle no newborn should ever endure. Every breath, every heartbeat, every day she survived became a triumph.
“I knew there was something special about my daughter even before she was born,” Raquel recalls. She discovered she was pregnant with Rielle just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. Being 38 years old, her pregnancy was considered high-risk, and she was referred to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Everything seemed fine until her 20-week ultrasound, when excitement turned to fear. The doctor announced, “It’s definitely not a boy. You’re having a girl. But we have a bigger issue.”
Suspected Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) was later confirmed by a fetal cardiologist. The diagnosis meant that Rielle’s left ventricle was too small to function, and she would require multiple open-heart surgeries starting within days of birth. Raquel’s heart broke at the news. Telling her older children was one of the hardest moments, yet their focus on their sister’s condition reminded her of the hope and love surrounding her.
On September 13, 2020, Rielle was delivered via cesarean section, weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces. Raquel herself had recently been hospitalized with a blood clot that later traveled to her lung, causing a pulmonary embolism. Amid her own medical crisis, she held her daughter briefly, capturing precious moments in photographs before Rielle was airlifted to the Heart Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. There, her journey of survival truly began.
Once in the CICU, Rielle was placed under the care of Dr. Timothy Pettitt and a team of dedicated specialists. At just seven days old, she underwent her first open-heart surgery, the Norwood procedure. For 18 long hours, surgeons reconstructed her tiny aorta to redirect blood flow from her right ventricle to her body and implanted a temporary shunt to ensure blood could reach her lungs. Rielle then spent two months recovering in the CICU, fighting through pain and the vulnerability of infancy.
At seven months old, Rielle underwent the Glenn procedure. This second surgery rerouted blood from the upper body directly to her lungs, allowing blood to circulate without passing through the heart. The surgeries were complex, and Rielle’s resilience during recovery amazed her family and medical team. After these first two surgeries, Rielle’s heart function improved, but her journey was far from over.
By her first birthday, Rielle’s heart faced another challenge: her valve, previously leaking only slightly, worsened. Her face swelled, tests revealed her heart was enlarging, and she was referred back to Children’s Hospital for urgent intervention. After a heart catheterization, emergency surgery was deemed necessary. What was expected to be an eight-hour operation extended to an exhausting 27 hours. Twice placed on bypass, Rielle nearly didn’t survive. Yet she clung to life with remarkable determination.
Her care team performed additional interventions: a mechanical heart valve was installed, her chest remained open for a week, and she was placed on ECMO for four days to support her heart and lungs. She also underwent diaphragm plication and received an epicardial atrial pacemaker. Through every complication, Raquel stood steadfast, drawing strength from faith and hope, while witnessing her daughter’s unparalleled courage.
“Rielle is the definition of a heart warrior,” Raquel says. “She would not be here without Dr. Pettitt and the team, who treated her as if she were their own. Every nurse, respiratory therapist, and support staff member gave their all. They never gave up, and neither did my daughter.”
Today, Rielle is a happy, thriving one-year-old. She breathes independently, plays with her siblings, and attends regular follow-ups with her cardiologist. She also participates in speech and occupational therapy, preparing for her third HLHS surgery, the Fontan procedure, at age three. Every day of life is a victory, a testament to her resilience, the skill of her medical team, and the love surrounding her.
Rielle’s story is one of courage, perseverance, and hope. She has already faced challenges that would overwhelm even adults, yet her spirit remains unbroken. For Raquel and her family, every laugh, every smile, and every heartbeat is a reminder of the miracles possible when love, faith, and dedicated care come together. Rielle is not just a survivor — she is a heart warrior, and her journey continues to inspire everyone who witnesses her courage.
