The Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a research program with the goal of delaying or preventing heart failure for individuals with HLHS. To learn more or to participate, please visit our website or contact HLHS@mayo.edu. Follow the program on Facebook at Mayo Clinic HLHS, on Twitter @MayoClinicHLHS, and on Instagram at MayoClinicHLHS.

Public blog

Has your unborn baby been recently diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome?

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare heart defect, affecting 1,000 newborns each year in the United States, in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped, and the right side of the heart must pump blood to both the lungs and the body. The defect occurs during fetal growth and currently cannot be prevented.

Treatment normally involves a three-stage surgery to reroute blood flow in the heart. While the surgeries are life-saving and effective, they do not eliminate the possibility that an individual with HLHS may need a heart transplant in the future.

By collecting and banking your baby’s umbilical cord blood (UCB) at Mayo Clinic’s Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for HLHS, you make it possible for your child to participate in future clinical trials using stems cells from your baby’s own body. The goal of the clinical trials is to strengthen the heart using stem cells.

Contact the program today to learn more or to receive your free collection kit at HLHS@mayo.edu.