{"id":4723,"date":"2018-11-11T12:00:05","date_gmt":"2018-11-11T18:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=4723"},"modified":"2025-12-10T16:04:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T22:04:32","slug":"cardiology-care-for-the-littlest-hearts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/cardiology-care-for-the-littlest-hearts\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiology care for the littlest hearts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ryli VanHoveln, 5, was born a fighter. She had to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is the spunkiest girl I\u2019ve ever met,\u201d said Holli, Ryli\u2019s mom. \u201cShe is a ball of fire and strong-willed, which I think has got her this far. But she\u2019s also the sweetest little thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Facing the unexpected<\/h2>\n
\"Ryli

Ryli VanHoveln and her mother, Holli.<\/p><\/div>\n

On May 21, 2013, Joe and Holli VanHoveln welcomed their daughter, Ryli, at a small hospital in Watseka, Illinois. But doctors soon realized something wasn\u2019t right.<\/p>\n

\u201cRyli was born with a cleft palate \u2013 so doctors noticed that right away,\u201d Holli said. \u201cShe was also having respiratory distress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of those two factors, they decided to transfer Ryli to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit<\/a> (NICU) at OSF HealthCare Children\u2019s Hospital of Illinois<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The initial focus for Ryli\u2019s care was to provide proper nutrition because her cleft palate made eating difficult and to help with her breathing.<\/p>\n

While Ryli was in the NICU, doctors ordered an echocardiogram on her heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the answer to everything,\u201d Holli said.<\/p>\n

The echocardiogram showed Ryli had two congenital heart defects \u2013 coarctation, or narrowing, of the aorta and ventricular septal defect, a hole in the wall of the heart\u2019s two lower chambers.<\/p>\n

Ryli was put under the care of Dr. Ty Hasselman<\/a>, pediatric cardiologist at OSF Children\u2019s Hospital, who assured her family her heart condition could be fixed.<\/p>\n

World-class heart care<\/h2>\n

At just 17 days old, Ryli underwent her first surgery to repair the coarctation of her aorta<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen your newborn undergoes heart surgery, you have to put your faith in God and in the surgeons that they are going to do their very best,\u201d Holli said.<\/p>\n

Less than six months later, Ryli had her second surgery to correct her ventricular septal defect<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both surgeries were a success.<\/p>\n

Today, Ryli is a social butterfly. She\u2019s enjoying her second year of preschool and looking forward to starting softball this year.<\/p>\n

Now, Ryli only requires a yearly checkup with Dr. Hasselman.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom day one, everyone at OSF Children\u2019s Hospital has treated us like family,\u201d Holli said. \u201cI didn\u2019t have to worry about anything besides being there for my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch a video of Ryli\u2019s triumphant story of the heart.<\/p>\n