Letitia
Letitia
Student, aspiring occupational therapist, and blossoming advocate.
From a young age, Letitia has been passionate about connecting with people through music, choir and church. Over time, this passion grew and transformed her into an empathetic networker which she utilizes to advocate for the lifelong needs of the congenital heart disease (CHD) community.
Letitia was born with multiple congenital heart defects with the main being Pulmonary Atresia and Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS). During high school, she faced challenges such as students and teachers not understanding why she couldn’t keep up in physical activities like gym class running. She grew to realize that chronic, lifelong conditions like hers may be invisible in the eyes of a stranger. From that day forward, she devoted herself to becoming a CHD advocate—adopting a positive outlook and becoming more actively involved in the community.
Getting involved as a CHD advocate started for Letitia in college. At 18 years old she had two major firsts—attending a FON patient day and meeting other people with her condition.
Now as a college senior, Letitia is set to graduate a semester early and immediately pursue a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree at Baylor University.
She aspires to work closely with CHD and Fontan patients and advocate for cardiac rehab to become a standard of care for Fontan and CHD patients. To Letitia, a potential treatment would mean more than just palliative care. She also believes there are larger conversations needed around research in the CHD space and addressing patients’ mental health needs.
Letitia views acceptance as a major health milestone. She shares how in the past, she tried to ignore her condition but has since found the hidden blessings. As a Face of Fontan, Letitia hopes to encourage others to share their stories and showcase accomplishments to help others understand what they can achieve.
Letitia has interned at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, appeared in CHD publications and podcasts and helped plan the Houston Heart Walk. Her passion for advocacy, research and supporting a continuum of care for CHD patients has made her a fierce champion for those with congenital heart differences.
