{"id":7917,"date":"2018-10-16T08:44:23","date_gmt":"2018-10-16T12:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/?page_id=7917"},"modified":"2019-01-23T10:02:52","modified_gmt":"2019-01-23T15:02:52","slug":"patient-stories-georgia-mae-braddy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/for-patients\/patient-stories\/patient-stories-georgia-mae-braddy\/","title":{"rendered":"Patient Stories: Georgia Mae Braddy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A hole inside a heart. A tiny heart. \u00a0A heart the size of an infant\u2019s fist, with a hole the size of a penny. A hole that helped to keep a little girl alive. \u00a0Georgia Mae Braddy is, without doubt, a fighter.\u00a0 At four months old, she has already undergone three major surgeries, one of which took place while she was still in utero. This is her story, but it is also the story of a team of UNC doctors and comprehensive caregivers in the departments of cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, and maternal-fetal medicine who worked tirelessly and diligently in coordinated effort to save her life.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8040\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"width: 228px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8040 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-218x300.jpg\" alt=\"Braddy Family Photo Pregnancy\" width=\"218\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-218x300.jpg 218w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-768x1059.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-743x1024.jpg 743w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-371x512.jpg 371w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy.jpg 1331w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Will, Carmen and Emmett Braddy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At 20 weeks of pregnancy Carmen Braddy, a pediatric nurse, and her husband, Will Braddy were informed that their daughter had Myelomeningocele Spina Bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal cord does not develop properly. The condition\u00a0involves issues with the spinal cord and nerves, meaning that her little girl may not be able to kick her legs or move her lower limbs, she may never be able to ride a bike or learn to roller skate. Eighty percent of children in this group will develop hydrocephalus, a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the cavities deep inside the brain. It was a terrifying diagnosis for the family, but there were options available to them.<\/p>\n<p>Myelomeningocele, the lesion \u201copening\u201d on the spine, can be repaired in two ways. The first is a surgery that takes place after the child is born, the back is open, nerves of the spine are exposed on the skin and then closed. The other option for babies diagnosed with Myelomeningocele Spina Bifida is a surgery done in utero. This allows the doctors to close up the spinal cord and nerves in the spine as the child is still developing and gives them a better chance of warding off the development of hydrocephalus as well as the possibility of maintaining some lower body function.<\/p>\n<p>Carmen\u2019s doctors at Duke referred the family to the UNC Medical Center, the only facility in the state of North Carolina and one of the few in the Southeastern United States that performs prenatal Myelomeningocele Spina Bifida surgery.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8044\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignright\" style=\"width: 235px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8044 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-with-doctor-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Braddy Family Pregnancy with Dr. Goodnight\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-with-doctor-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-with-doctor-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Braddy-Family-Pregnancy-with-doctor-384x512.jpg 384w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Dr. Goodnight with Carmen and Will Braddy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWhen Duke first referred us to UNC for the surgery,\u201d Carmen explains, \u201cI told my husband, no way, I don\u2019t want them messing with my child while she\u2019s still inside of me. Maya Lindley, a coordinator with Maternal and Infant Health at UNC, contacted me to discuss the procedure and we had a conversation that lasted over an hour. After I hung up with her I just knew, I changed my mind, I was definitely going to do it just by learning the facts, the benefits and how this could potentially make her (my baby\u2019s) quality of life better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On March 13, 2018, Carmen and her unborn child underwent surgery. Dr. William Goodnight, Associate Professor, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine doctor performed Carmen\u2019s part of the surgery, creating an incision from her belly button to her pelvic bone. He positioned the baby and held her as Dr. Scott Elton, Division Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery, completed the Myelomeningocele repair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a multidisciplinary team of doctors under one roof that come together to care for both the mother and her child,\u201d says Dr. Elton. \u201cEven before we ever get to surgery the parents meet everybody as a family, they see their team so everyone can explain what their part in the story is. This includes neurosurgery, maternal-fetal medicine, NICU, orthopedics, urology, and rehab. We want to make sure the parents are informed, empowered and feel supported throughout the entire process because they have become part of our family, we will see that child grow over the next eighteen years. \u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8043\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"width: 235px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8043 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Born-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Georgia Mae Braddy First Born\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Born-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Born-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Born-384x512.jpg 384w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Newborn Georgia Mae Braddy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After the surgery, Carmen was on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy but made the trip every Tuesday for an ultrasound to check on her baby\u2019s progress. On May 30, Carmen and her family checked in to UNC for their scheduled C-Section. Georgia Mae Braddy was born at 6 pounds, .5 ounces, 19 inches in length. \u201cEveryone was so impressed when she came out kicking and moving her legs because we weren\u2019t even sure she would be able to do that,\u201d recalls William Braddy, Georgia Mae\u2019s father.<\/p>\n<p>After five days in the hospital, the Braddy family was discharged and headed home. Twenty days later, however, things took another turn. The family was going about their normal life, preparing dinner, and taking selfies with their 4 year old son, Emmett. Georgia Mae was nestled in her bouncer as the family scurried around the kitchen. Dad went to check on her, putting his hand on her chest, noticing something wasn\u2019t right. He immediately called out to Carmen that she wasn\u2019t breathing. Carmen rushed over and started actions to try and revive her, finally laying her down on the couch to lift up her neck to improve oxygen flow. As paramedics arrived, Georgia Mae had started to breathe again, but everyone knew something was wrong; she was rushed back to UNC Medical Center.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8042 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Hospital-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Georgia Mae Hospital\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Hospital-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Hospital-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Hospital-384x512.jpg 384w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>\u201cThe doctors started rolling in, and in no time I felt like I was in a movie scene. Her oxygen levels were dropping rapidly,\u201d says Carmen. \u201cThey asked me to sit down in a chair, and a chaplain sat next to me. All these people ran in; they had the crash cart, the doctors were at the head of the bed intubating her. I was crying but a part of me, I guess the nurse side of me, noticed that everything was so coordinated. Everybody knew what they were supposed to do. I just remember it as controlled chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA million things were running through my head,\u201d Carmen recalled. \u201cWhen she was in the ED before they intubated her, Dr. Daniel Park, I\u2019ll never forget him, he put the ultrasound machine on her heart and said \u2018her heart is enlarged,\u2019 and we just didn\u2019t know what that meant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Georgia Mae was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). After undergoing tests including an echocardiogram, she was diagnosed with TAPVR, Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return. TAPVR is a rare congenital malformation in which all four pulmonary veins do not connect normally to the left atrium of the heart. Instead, the four pulmonary veins drain abnormally to the right atrium (right upper chamber in the heart) by way of an abnormal (anomalous) connection.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7920\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"width: 235px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7920\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/36654110_850207601832619_6691405523562004480_n-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/36654110_850207601832619_6691405523562004480_n-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/36654110_850207601832619_6691405523562004480_n-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/36654110_850207601832619_6691405523562004480_n-384x512.jpg 384w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/36654110_850207601832619_6691405523562004480_n.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Dr. Mahesh Sharma with Georgia Mae Braddy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Chief of Congenital Cardiac Surgery and Co-director of the NC Children\u2019s Heart Center explains her condition a little more simply. \u201cThat means the veins that carry oxygenated blood back from the lungs, to the left side of the heart so that blood can be pumped out through the aorta into the body, for the brain, kidneys, and other vital organs doesn\u2019t make that connection. The blood was instead routed through the liver, to the right side of her heart and then inside the heart, because she had a hole, the blood was mixing. That blood mixture was what was keeping her alive. When she arrived at the hospital, the channel that was connecting the blood to the heart was starting to get narrowed and so that&#8217;s when she was having more symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7918\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1034px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/heartdiagram.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7918 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/heartdiagram-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/heartdiagram-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/heartdiagram-150x75.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/heartdiagram-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/heartdiagram-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/heartdiagram.jpg 1612w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">click to enlarge heart diagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Doctors also performed a standard brain MRI, concerned about Georgia Mae\u2019s lack of oxygen during the ordeal and pre-existing neurologic condition. Once all the test results came back, the PICU assistant nurse manager came into the room informing the family that the doctors needed to talk with them about the next steps. \u201cI freaked out,\u201d Carmen remembers, \u201cshe brought in five chairs, and I looked at my husband, and I said this is not good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Timothy Hoffman, Chief of Pediatric Cardiology and Professor of Pediatrics along with Dr. Sharma sat down with the family. \u00a0\u201cThey told us that they received the results of her brain MRI,\u201d explains Carmen, \u201cit showed where she had a brain injury from being hypoxic, a condition caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain that occurred the day before when she stopped breathing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Due to the brain injury, the procedure of correcting the heart defect created a higher risk for Georgia Mae. The doctors had to take into account more neurological complications including possible stroke and seizures. During the surgery, Georgia Mae would be hooked up to the heart-lung machine to stop her heart and her circulation for short period of time in which \u00a0blood flow to her brain would be limited.\u00a0 Dr. Sharma, as lead surgeon, and Dr. Michael Mill, assisting him, then would connect the pulmonary veins correctly to the heart and then fix the hole with a patch.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8041 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Mom-Georgia-Mae-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Mom-Georgia-Mae-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Mom-Georgia-Mae-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Mom-Georgia-Mae-384x512.jpg 384w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey wanted to know if we wanted to continue with the heart surgery.\u201d Recalls William \u201cWe told them to do everything they can for her. At that point, it almost seemed like the risks outweighed the benefits of the surgery. They were very concerned about it but as soon as they got up, Dr. Sharma came up to me, he was the only one, he shook my hand and said, \u2018I\u2019ll take care of her.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>The parents said their \u201cwe\u2019ll see you later\u2019s\u201d to their baby girl as she was wheeled into the operating room. At 22 days old, Georgia Mae was headed into her second surgery. After seven hours of surgery, Dr. Sharma walked into the waiting room and gave the family the good news; the surgery was a success. Their baby girl had been able to push through, and the family was able to go back and be with her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGeorgia Mae\u2019s diagnoses and medical care was extraordinarily complex,\u201d says Dr. Sharma. \u201cThe dedication of the care team at UNC Children\u2019s Heart Center along with the multidisciplinary involvement of our other specialists and partnership with her family allowed for her to not only survive, but thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7942\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignright\" style=\"width: 235px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7942 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Dr-Sharma-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Georgia Mae and Dr Sharma\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Dr-Sharma-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Dr-Sharma-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Dr-Sharma-384x512.jpg 384w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/Georgia-Mae-Dr-Sharma.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Dr. Mahesh Sharma with the Braddy Family<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe now know this condition is rare,\u201d says William, \u201cespecially in her case because she made it so long after birth without it being caught. We learned after all of this that babies with this heart defect don\u2019t normally make it more than 24 hours after birth\u2026she made it twenty-one days. We felt lucky. I felt relieved that he (Dr. Sharma) was the surgeon. I feel like I know him now. It\u2019s a big relief. He\u2019s been wonderful. Everyone has been so wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Georgia Mae was in the hospital for seven weeks as she recovered, her mother rarely leaving her side. \u201cFor the most part I was with her 24\/7,\u201d explains Carmen. \u201cI never went home so I could take care of her. I knew she was in great hands, the people in the UNC Medical Center PICU were absolutely wonderful, and I owe her life to them; the nurses, the doctors, everybody was just amazing. However, there is nothing like the care a mom can give her child; I was able to give her baths, sing to her, talk to her, and be with her as she got stronger every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After being discharged, Georgia Mae continued to come into the hospital for routine checkups. In August during her latest neurosurgery checkup, it became clear that she would need another surgery, this time on the brain. She had in fact developed Hydrocephalus, which was causing a build-up of pressure on her brain and skull like a balloon slowly being blown up.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia Mae\u2019s parents chose to allow Dr. Elton and his team to perform a new, state of the art procedure known as endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV\/CPC). They wanted to forego implanting a brain shunt hoping it would be a better outcome for her. The brain surgery was successful, going smoothly and efficiently. At her most recent doctor visit, her team at UNC Medical Center was very happy with her progress and continued improving health.<\/p>\n<p>Through every roadblock in Georgia Mae\u2019s short life, the team at UNC Medical Center worked side by side to provide her and her family with the highest level of care available. They were with the family during each step, educating them and making sure they felt supported during this process. Due to her condition, Georgia Mae will continue to come in to see the doctors at UNC Medical Center as she ages and develops, meeting new milestones in her life, so they can monitor and make sure she achieves those successes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7923\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/44099945_10156063585428651_3645811683886104576_n-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/44099945_10156063585428651_3645811683886104576_n-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/44099945_10156063585428651_3645811683886104576_n-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/44099945_10156063585428651_3645811683886104576_n-384x512.jpg 384w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/854\/2018\/10\/44099945_10156063585428651_3645811683886104576_n.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>\u201cWhen you step back, and you look at what North Carolina Children&#8217;s Hospital offers,\u201d says Dr. Elton, \u201cwe operated on a pregnant mother, on her unborn child, with five different teams in play supporting them. Georgia Mae then had a cardiac event, and again we provided comprehensive pediatric cardiothoracic care, all under one roof. She then required hydrocephalus treatment, and we were back to complex Spina Bifida management. It all worked because it&#8217;s what we do here, it\u2019s who we are -providing the most complex and comprehensive care for children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To continue to follow Georgia Mae\u2019s story, please check out her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Georgia-Maes-Journey-786814204838626\/\">Facebook page here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A hole inside a heart. A tiny heart. \u00a0A heart the size of an infant\u2019s fist, with a hole the size of a penny. A hole that helped to keep a little girl alive. \u00a0Georgia Mae Braddy is, without doubt, a fighter.\u00a0 At four months old, she has already undergone three major surgeries, one of &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/for-patients\/patient-stories\/patient-stories-georgia-mae-braddy\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Patient Stories: Georgia Mae Braddy\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37593,"featured_media":0,"parent":2773,"menu_order":18,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"featured-item":[],"class_list":["post-7917","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"pp_force_visibility":null,"pp_subpost_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_force_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_subpost_visibility":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Patient Stories: Georgia Mae Braddy | Department of Surgery<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/surgery\/for-patients\/patient-stories\/patient-stories-georgia-mae-braddy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Patient Stories: Georgia Mae Braddy | Department of Surgery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A hole inside a heart. A tiny heart. \u00a0A heart the size of an infant\u2019s fist, with a hole the size of a penny. 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