OTTAWA LAKE, Michigan — Nearly one in 100 children are born with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). It's the most common birth defect, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and it can be hereditary.
That's the case in Mia Shinaver's story. At just 16 years old, she's already been through more in her 16 years than some people go through in their lifetime.
"I was first diagnosed at cross country practice," Mia said, "I had a cardiac incident."
Mia's dad, Josh, said that incident would be the start of a life-changing journey.
"Mia at a very young age was 11 years old when she had her first incident," Josh said. "It turned our world around. It really opened our eyes and realized how quickly something can change."
Mom rushed to her daughter's side. She thought she'd be fine.
"I got a call and they said, 'Has Mia ever had seizures?' I said, 'No, never, no, no, never,'" Sarah said. "When I got there, she was laying on the ground not fine."
Sarah said it took 10 hours for Mia to open her eyes.
Mia said she doesn't remember what happened. She wasn't where she was when she woke up.
Doctors determined Mia had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). It's the same heart condition as her father, her grandmother and her little brother, Greyson.
Mia needed surgery. Her family had to travel to a specialist in Boston.
"When we first started talking about his surgery, the doctor said to us, 'In Boston, we've done this one other time. We don't know if the outcome is going to be the same or not. It's not like we've done this 100 times,'" Sarah said.
The doctors explained the risks. Mia didn't let the numbers bother her.
"Mia said, 'There's no way to get to 100 if we don't start with one. I'll be number two,'" Sarah said.
The surgery helped with Mia's heart arrhythmias. Though Mia said she didn't immediately feel any different, her doctors were able to decrease her medications.
Josh said he sees strength in his daughter. He remembers his mom getting sick and needing a heart transplant. He said it was tough to watch, but he's been lucky with his condition.
"I kind of skipped a generation, my mom had a hard journey," Josh said. "I have been relatively stable."
Josh said Greyson's heart is similar. He hasn't had any significant issues. He looks up to his younger sister, even though they're still typical siblings.
"I 95% support her. The other 5% I pick on her," Greyson said. "I love her very much, she's my best friend."
Greyson knows he'll have to monitor his heart. He'll get checked and see the cardiologist. But he's keeping his head up, offering some advice.
"Try and don't let it define you and don't give up," Greyson said.