James Satterfield is a curious 1-year-old with a love for food and a smile that fills the room.
“When it comes to food, there isn’t a bite he doesn’t like,” says James’ mom, Madison. “He’s curious, happy and just the sweetest gift to our family.”
When Madison and her husband, Andrew, imagined life with their first child, they pictured first smiles, wobbly steps and joyful milestones. But at their 20-week anatomy scan, those dreams took an unexpected turn.
Doctors discovered that James had multiple congenital heart defects. He was diagnosed with hypoplastic right heart syndrome, meaning the right side of his heart was too small to pump blood properly. He also had transposition of the great arteries, a condition where the heart’s two main blood vessels are switched, sending blood the wrong way.
In addition, he had partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR), where one of the veins carrying blood into the heart was connected in the wrong place.
“It was so overwhelming,” Madison says. “There were a lot of tears, a lot of fear of the unknown. We never in a million years thought that would be part of our story.”
Surrounded by care
From that moment, the Satterfields were surrounded by specialists from Atrium Health Women’s Care Maternal Fetal Medicine and the fetal cardiology team at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Congenital Heart Center. Together, they built a detailed plan for James’ delivery and care.
“Our team put us at ease,” Andrew says. “They walked us through what to expect in the NICU and cardiac ICU and helped us feel like we weren’t going through this alone.”
A brave beginning
James was born in May 2024 and immediately began his fight for survival at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital, ranked among the top 10 ‘Best Children’s Hospitals’ for cardiology & heart surgery in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.
“It was definitely scary at first,” Andrew says. “We got to hold him for maybe 10 minutes, and then he was whisked away to the NICU.”
James spent the first month of his life in the hospital, undergoing his first open-heart surgery at 2 weeks old. Through every procedure and recovery, his care team guided the Satterfields with compassion and clarity.
“Spending that first month in the hospital was hard,” Madison says. “But we are so thankful for the care team and the world-class care that he received.”
Finding their rhythm
When it was time to bring James home, the Complex Congenital Heart at Home Monitoring Program, (CHAMP), supported by The HEARTest Yard foundation, helped ease the transition.
The program gave the Satterfields resources to track James’ progress and stay connected to his care team.
“CHAMP was a lifeline,” Andrew says. “It helped us feel confident and supported once we left the hospital.”
Now, more than a year later, James has graduated from CHAMP. He requires less monitoring and is reaching developmental milestones ahead of schedule.
Growing stronger every day
James continues to amaze his care team and family each day. In June 2025, he underwent a cardiac catheterization lab procedure to widen a vein where there was scar tissue build up, and has been thriving since.
He is followed closely by his dedicated team at Levine Children’s HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center. With their guidance, James is reaching new milestones and embarking on new adventures every day.
“He’s doing so well,” Madison shares. “Watching him learn and make friends in preschool has been such a gift.”
And soon, James will begin a whole new adventure as he becomes a big brother. The Satterfields are expecting a new addition to their family in early 2026.
The heart of the story
James will need another heart surgery when he turns 3, and his parents know there may be more challenges ahead. But for now, they’re focused on the joy of today.
“What started out as a tragedy has become such a blessing for our family,” Madison says. “James will always be a special gift to us. His strength and smile inspire us every single day.”
“This journey has made us stronger,” Andrew adds. “We’ll be ready for whatever comes next, with the guidance of our doctors and support from our community.”
Through it all, James is growing into his story. With quiet courage and a heart full of strength, he’s showing those around him what resilience really looks like — one small, brave step at a time.
See more lives that have been changed by Levine Children’s.
