Danny's Journey | Boston Children's Hospital

Learn more about Danny's story: www.bostonchildrens.org/dannys...
As a varsity football and lacrosse player, 17 year old Simsbury, Connecticut native Danny Deitz was used to pushing the limits of his physical endurance. No doubt that competitive spirit was passed down to him from his father, Terry Deitz, a retired U.S. Navy pilot and two-time Survivor contestant.
But last spring, Danny became concerned about a mysterious decline in his health. Plays that were once second nature became strenuous, and he started to struggle with breathing during activity.
Eventually, Danny felt weak just walking up the stairs of his high school. He was in heart failure-and about to face the toughest summer of his life.
Unbeknownst to him and his family, Danny had a rare genetic form of cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. With his family's support and care from an expert team at the Boston Children's Heart Center- including cardiologists Dr. Betsy Blume and Dr. Kevin Daly- Danny was able to regain strength, return to his community, and receive a heart transplant.
Learn more about the Cardiomyopathy Program at Boston Children's Hospital: www.childrenshospital.org/cent...