CLEVELAND — Megan Sidley loves sports.

“I’ve done like gymnastics, swimming, dance and cheerleading," she said.

The 4th grader likes soccer best.

“I just really like being with my teammates," said Megan.

But in January 2020, the then 8-year-old started having trouble breathing while out on the field.

“So, I started to not feel great when I was like running on the field and stuff," she said. "I couldn’t breathe very well when I was running."

It was something her mom, Joyce, picked up on, too. She’s been a nurse for more than 20 years.

“I noticed she was really getting out of breath and never complaining," she said. "She’d keep running after the ball, but as soon as she’d kick the ball, she’d start holding her chest and taking these deep breaths, and I thought something might be wrong. I better get her to a doctor. But, I honestly thought she might like have sports-induced asthma.”

But after getting a full work-up by a doctor, the family learned Megan had three holes in her heart.

“It was devastating," said Joyce. "Then Megan was sitting right there. So, even though I was devastated, I'm still trying to smile, you know, and act like everything was OK. But, I couldn't even believe what I was hearing. They were showing it to us, you know, her heart on the ultrasound and her heart was enlarged. She had blood that was going into her lungs. And I felt so guilty that I, being a nurse, didn't catch this earlier, that I had her out on the field running like that.”

After heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in June 2020, Megan stayed on the sidelines for three months to recover. That was tough for the active little girl.

“I love soccer, and I didn’t know like how long it was going to take until I could play it again. So, I was kind of nervous," said Megan. “I always looked out the window and all my friends were playing and stuff, playing basketball, and I was just sitting inside.”

But she bounced back quickly. Megan plays soccer for two teams, including the Upper 90 Futbol Club in northeast Ohio. Megan missed her teammates and the sport so much after the surgery, doctors gave her the green light to work on foot skills with Coach Tony before she came back at full speed.

“I feel great," said Megan. "I can breathe much better, and I can run without having any trouble breathing.”

“I’m so proud of you, Megan," said Joyce. "Believe me, I think about this at every game. Like I can't even believe she's out there doing what she loves. She's a kid, and she's enjoying life and the team. They are her friends and it's just, it really is a happy ending. She has her childhood back.”

Joyce said this message to others:

“Go with your gut instinct," she said. "I mean, Megan, when I first mentioned she was having problems, everyone looked at me and said, 'Oh my gosh, she's one of the best players out on the field!' But I said something's wrong and listen to your gut. Ask your doctors."

Joyce said that Megan's doctors told her she needed to rest for 90 days after the surgery and after exactly 90 days passed, she was back on the field at a soccer game.

Doctors diagnosed Megan with Crohn's disease soon after returning to soccer and now has to get infusions every four weeks at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. Joyce said that is likely caused by all the stress from the open heart surgery.

Megan was adopted at birth and the congenital heart defect went undetected for years despite regular check-ups. 

Dr. Hani Najm, chair of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, said some things parents should look out for are changes in your child’s behavior or activity level, shortness of breath and blue nails or lips.

In Megan’s case, Najm said they caught the heart issue early enough to not cause permanent damage.

“I think her outlook is outstanding," he said. "From what we know from the medical literature, that this type of defect, once it's repaired, they do for the rest of their life very well. The chance of her requiring another operation is very low if ever, and the chance that she can actually participate in any sports she wants would be very expected. As a matter of fact, I know there are many famous athletes who have had actually some some of these lesions that have been fixed in childhood and they live very normally.”

Najm said 99.99% of all congenital heart lesions are fixable. Early detection and follow-up are key.