That’s why she and her husband, Michael, founded VT Cardiac Kids in 2013 after learning their infant son Jack was among the roughly one in one hundred babies born each year in the United States with a CHD, making it one of the nation’s most common birth defects.

About a quarter of those cases are critical, requiring surgery or other medical intervention within the first year of life. Yet, thanks to advances in care, more than 95 percent of children born with a CHD go on to live full, active lives.

 VT Cardiac Kids Founders Michael and Kathryn and their children Maddie, Elise, and Jack

FINDING THE SILVER LINING

Kathryn, Michael, and Jack’s journey began in upstate New York, when Jack was just three months old. That’s when doctors gave him a diagnosis that would ultimately inspire the creation of a Vermont community dedicated to helping young heart patients and their families connect, cope, and thrive.

“Jack had his heart repaired in Albany in 2013, when he was just six months old,” Kathryn recounts. “We moved to Vermont after his surgery to be close to his follow-up team at UVM Children’s Hospital.”

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

The couple had taken advantage of a local support group in New York State for CHD families and was disappointed to learn that nothing similar existed in their new community. She continues, “I started putting together this amazing group of Heart Heros, Super Siblings, and their parents to raise awareness, connect through special events, and so our kids would know that there are other kids out there who are just like them.”

 Alexa Jane (Heart Hero) at the annual heart walk. 

The group that Kathryn and Michael started became a vibrant and effective resource for Vermont families coping with a child with a heart defect. The couple used their own money to supplement whatever they could raise from donations.

GRAND GET-TOGETHERS

In 2014, the group held their first get-together, Breakfast with Santa, with seven kids and their families in attendance. Today, the group serves as many as twenty-six kids at events, like apple picking, seeing how Vermont Teddy Bears are made, and a summer baseball game at the Vermont Lake Monsters ballpark at UVM. Kathryn’s current goal is to sponsor one activity each month for the kids and their families to come together.

 VT Cardiac Kids pose with Lake Monsters mascot Champ at the annual heart walk.

HEARTFELT PARTNERS

Cardiac Kids also partners with companies and institutions, such as the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, which donates custom-made tee shirts and bears (including one with a chest scar from open heart surgery), the American Heart Association, and the New England chapter of It’s My Heart New England. Kathryn adds, “We are so fortunate to have the support of Dr. Drucker and the pediatric cardiology department at UVMMC. We love adding new families!”

JACK’S HAPPY HEART

Today, Jack Towle is an active thirteen year-old, who plays basketball, takes karate lessons, loves to hit the slopes as a black diamond skier, and aspires to become a lawyer. He has been cleared from cardiological visits for life. He is proud to be a Heart Hero and has made new friends engaging in Cardiac Kids activities. His advice to other kids with a CHD is, “No matter how tough it gets, you have to fight through.”

 Jack Towle proudly displaying his Heart Hero cape at an event.

KUDOS FOR CARDIAC KIDS

Jamie Rainville is the mother of a Heart Hero, ten-year-old Rylan. They have been members of Cardiac Kids since Rylan was a toddler, enjoying numerous activities, including attending hockey games in Plattsburgh. She says, “This group creates a space where families can come together around these medical journeys, without pressure or formality. The kids play, the parents connect, and you realize there are people who truly understand. When I look around at these children and parents who’ve been through so much and are laughing and having fun, it’s a powerful reminder of how resilient we all are.”

MAKING IT OFFICIAL

In 2023, the organization was officially incorporated in the State of Vermont and received its 501(c)(3) status as VT Cardiac Kids, Inc. This important step has emboldened Kathryn to be even more outgoing when asking for support. “At the beginning, we didn’t even have our own bank account,” she recalls. “We relied on Amazon’s Wish List for donations. Now, it is much easier to appeal for help.” She adds that becoming a nonprofit has opened doors with the organization’s partners, with benefits such as free tickets to Lake Monsters games and a chance for the kids to go on the ball field.

 Trevor, Nikki and Ayonna (Heart Hero) Towle at the 2025 Go Red for Women Luncheon, at which the female cardiac survivors were recognized.

BEING THERE WHEN IT COUNTS

After more than a decade of running Cardiac Kids, Kathryn has a message for parents of Heart Heroes: “I want them to know that they are not alone. There are other kids who’ve gone through this and are thriving—my son is an athlete today. We’re here whenever families need us.”

As VT Cardiac Kids looks to welcome new families and expand its programs, Kathryn says the group is always grateful for community members willing to volunteer, sponsor an activity, or simply help spread the word.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VT CARDIAC KIDS, INC

For more information on how you can help, reach out to Kathryn at [email protected].