By the time Mike Borkowski (right) was 13, he’d undergone two open-heart surgeries to open and replace his damaged aortic valve.
Born with aortic valve stenosis, a condition that prevents a steady flow of blood from the heart to the body, Borkowski, now 18, has spent lengthy periods of time in the intensive care unit at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
The Denison University freshman, a pitcher on the school’s baseball team, attributes his ability to now thrive to the doctors, nurses and staff at Lurie Children’s Hospital. To show his gratitude, Borkowski volunteered during summers in the hospital’s cardiology department and worked as a hospital ambassador. And in 2011, Borkowski organized his first team for Step Up For Kids to raise money to benefit the hospital’s new heart center.
The 17th annual Aon Step Up For Kids event is a stair climb to the top of the Aon Center, the city’s third tallest building. With 80 floors and 1,643 steps, it’s a taxing physical test for a good cause; proceeds from the event benefit the fundraising efforts of K.I.D.S.S. for Kids, an affiliated organization of Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Borkowski, sister Natasha and a full team of supporters, friends and family are gearing up for their fourth Step Up for Kids with their team And the Beat Goes On… In each of the previous years, the team finished among the top 10 fundraisers, and the 2013 team had nearly 100 participants climbing for the Heart Center at Lurie.
“Thirty years ago, kids like Mike did not survive,” wrote Borkowski’s father, Michael, in an email to Step Up for Kids fundraisers. “Now, thanks to Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, he receives top-notch care.”
The Lurie Children’s Hospital acts as a haven for the families of its patients. Eight-year-oldKathleen Conzemius spent half of her first four years in and out of the hospital, and her parents credit the hospital’s Family Services Department for making their painful experience as comfortable as possible. “The power of family-centric care for frequent-flyer parents really was key,” says mother Tegwen Conzemius. “It made the hospital not so scary.”
Kathleen was diagnosed at birth with a rare form of single ventricle heart defect. She endured three open-heart surgeries, and at age 4, after a worrying bout with chronic plastic bronchitis, was admitted to Children’s for a 13-hour heart transplant. Today, Kathleen, 8, has normal lung function and is able to enjoy the activities typical of a girl her age.
“After her recovery, we really had a new child,” Conzemius shares. “I don’t think she knew what it felt like to feel good. The other day she was talking about how her ‘old’ heart kept her from doing certain things. Then she said, ‘This new heart is great. It‘s a keeper!’”
Kathleen and her family support Step Up for Kids because they credit Lurie Children’s Hospital with making their experience as smooth and positive as possible.
“Family Services is an emotional as well as physical support to families,” Conzemius says. “They try to brighten a child’s day in any way that they can, but it’s also a very important outlet for parents. They can give so much mental support to families. Family Services helped coach us through all of our questions.”
For Borkowski, so many of his formative years were shaped by constant trips to Lurie Children’s Hospital. His sixth birthday party was followed immediately by a scheduled angioplasty at the hospital, and at 13, he was prohibited from any physical exertion, including pitching on his school’s championship baseball team. But with the expertise of the hospital at his disposal, Borkowski is being afforded the best cutting-edge care and is able to lead an active life.
“Most adult cardiologists and surgeons do not have the expertise or the training to treat young adults like Mike,” says Mike’s mother, Denise. “We know another surgery is inevitable. Most heart programs do not have heart specialists who treat adults yet are trained in pediatric congenital heart diseases. Lurie Children’s is on the leading edge of this approach. We are so lucky to have this world-class hospital in Chicago.”
Step Up For Kids By The Numbers
- 3,000 athletes, fitness enthusiasts and families participate annually
- 1,643 steps to the top
- $4 million commitment to the hospital’s Family Services Department
Lurie Children’s Hospital By The Numbers
- 149,000 patients helped annually, from neonates to young adults
- 130 years of cutting-edge medical care
- Served children from 49 states and 34 countries in 2012
- 1,245 physicians in 70 pediatric specialties
Upcoming Events
- Step Up for Kids, January 26, 8 a.m., Aon Center, 200 East Randolph St.
Step Up for Kids, an athletic stair climb to the top of the Aon Center, is a fundraiser for the patients and families at Lurie Children’s Hospital. Register for the event as an individual or as a team.Online registration closes Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 11:59 p.m. After this date, you may register in person at one of the packet pick-up locations or at the Aon Center on event day if open spots remain.
