Cruz Rodriguez, 14, recently posed in a photo with a championship trophy after he and his teammates earned the United States title at the Junior League World Series.
It’s a long way from ultrasound images revealing a severe congenital heart disease before his birth that led to his first open heart surgery at five days old and 34 days of hospitalization before his first birthday.
Now, the eighth grader and baseball catcher is representing a different type of champion.
Cruz’s story will be featured during University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s Save A Heart Be a Champion for the Little Victors event that raises awareness and support for congenital heart research and services that benefit families.
“I had great doctors to get me through it,” Cruz said.
“When I’m playing baseball, I’m thankful I still can. But when I’m on the field I don’t even think about it. I just feel like a normal kid.”
Crushing milestones
Cruz, of Dearborn Heights, was born with tricuspid atresia, a rare congenital heart defect where the tricuspid valve, located between the right atrium and right ventricle, is severely underdeveloped.
In his case, his right ventricle normally responsible for pumping blood to the lungs didn’t develop properly.
Kristi Rodriguez was five months pregnant with Cruz, her third child, when she received the diagnosis in 2010 and was referred to Mott.
“They took us by the hand and helped us with every aspect, from figuring out the financial side to assuring us they could fix what he had,” she said.
“I don’t think I could ever put into words how thankful we are for the doctors, surgeons, nurses and everyone we came into contact with at U-M from the beginning to the end.”
Cruz needed a series of surgeries to allow blood to get his lungs directly since the right side of his heart was too small to do the work.
Every child is going to go through some challenges at different points in their heart journey but Cruz is a shining example of how well you can do with family support and an excellent medical team behind you,”
-Carly Fifer, M.D.
At five months old, Cruz returned to Mott for a second procedure.
Because of unique characteristics in his anatomy, he experienced complications that required another repair surgery by pediatric heart surgeon Richard Ohye, M.D.
At 3 years old, he had his fourth and final surgery known as the Fontan, the last of the series of reconstructive heart surgeries to help reroute blood flow for single ventricle heart conditions.
“He’s been thriving ever since,” Rodriguez said. “He just kept crushing his milestones.”
“He’s doing well in school and doing what he’s passionate about. He gets to be a kid and live the life he wants because of Mott and all the great teams that took care of him.”
The honor roll student now plays competitive travel baseball all over the country.
In 2023, his Little League team made it to the Intermediate World Series and then won the U.S. championship in the Junior League World Series the following year.
“I love the feeling of winning. It’s not so much about beating the other team. More it’s about knowing how hard you worked to get there and then achieving it,” Cruz said.
“Success is just getting better every day.”
Overcoming challenges
Mott pediatric cardiologist Carly Fifer, M.D., still remembers meeting the family during Rodriguez’s pregnancy and following them through the challenging surgeries, critical care stays and long hospitalizations.
And she recalls the day she could finally clear Cruz for sports.
“I remember Cruz coming in with a whole list of things he wanted to do. He started naming all the sports he wanted to play, including flag football, basketball and baseball,” she said.
She said she hopes his story can be a source of hope for others.
“Cruz is doing amazing now but the road hasn’t always been smooth,” she said.
“Every child is going to go through some challenges at different points in their heart journey but Cruz is a shining example of how well you can do with family support and an excellent medical team behind you.
“It’s such a thrill to see him be able to have these experiences and be an inspiration for others,” she added.
“We tell parents of babies going through the same challenges that there’s so much to look forward to down the road.”
In the last few decades, evidence also supports the importance of exercise for patients who require the Fontan procedure.
While these patients may have previously been restricted in some activities, research now shows that being active is physically and mentally beneficial.
“Exercise is so good for kids like Cruz. Physical activity is one of the best medicines for these heart conditions,” said Veronica Zitterman, N.P., advanced practice nurse at Mott.
“It takes a strong parent to allow your kid the freedom to do those things after going through all of that. He’s had some setbacks along the way but his family has always been so positive and let him do all he can do without limiting him.”
Zitterman, who has been part of Cruz’s care team since he was a baby, says everyone who has taken care of him enjoys hearing updates about his success.
“To go from one working pump in your heart to making it to a national level of playing baseball at his young age is incredible. It’s inspiring for other families to see that despite how these kids’ lives started, kids like Cruz aren’t letting their heart keep them from doing what they love.”
Source: Michigan Medicine.
