Early beginnings and diagnosis

Titus Williams’ journey as a heart patient started the moment he was born. As soon as he was delivered via cesarean section at a hospital in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, doctors noticed something was wrong. He was quickly transferred to Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, where doctors discovered he was born with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, a serious congenital heart condition.

“I was a young mom, and I had never known anyone who went through this,” said his mother, Beth. “It was quite a shock. My husband, a brain cancer survivor, went with Titus to Norton [Children’s Hospital] while I was still in the hospital recovering. He saw things I’m not sure I could have witnessed.”

Surgeries and miracles

When he was 1 day old, Titus underwent open heart surgery.

“I remember lying in my hospital bed when the surgeon called to explain what was going on. They said they were going to try a balloon procedure through the heart catheter, but that wasn’t going to work for him. He was going to need an open heart surgery the following day, and they explained what they were going to do,” Beth said.

Despite his initial heart challenges, Titus continued to grow — and thrive.

“He was healthy other than that. He was a good weight, which was a blessing,” Beth said.

After his initial heart surgery, which opened up the artery to his lungs and placed a shunt to provide additional blood flow to his lungs, Titus underwent other heart procedures in his first couple years of life. Those included a cardiac catheterization to close the surgically placed shunt when he no longer needed it and another cardiac catheterization to close a hole between the upper chambers of his heart. He has not needed open heart surgery since his last heart procedure in 2018. He was taken off most heart medications throughout his childhood, though he recently was prescribed a medicine to control rapid heart rate.

“I call him my miracle baby, because a lot of things we expected didn’t happen,” his mom said.

A passion for sports

When Titus was a baby, doctors told his family that he probably would never play sports. But Titus defied the odds. As he grew up, he played T-ball and baseball, and discovered his love for basketball in third grade.

“Every year, we took it year by year to see what the doctor would say,” Beth said. “Through his love for basketball, he has shown people what God can do with his team of doctors and nurses.”

Titus’s faith and resilience are encapsulated in his favorite Bible verse, Luke 1:37: “Nothing is impossible with God,” which he has inscribed on his basketball shoes.

Current health and future aspirations

Through the years, Titus has played sports for a church league, LaRue County Little League and a homeschool team. Today, Titus is a typical 16-year-old, playing basketball for LaRue County High School, and he is thankful for the opportunity he gets to play. He continues to inspire his family and community with his determination and positive outlook on life.

“He can tell he doesn’t have 100% endurance like the other kids, but he’s still out there trying and doesn’t let anything stop him,” Beth said.

Titus has annual checkups with Lucinda T. Wright, M.D., pediatric cardiologist with Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine.

“She is amazing and so down to earth. I feel like I’m talking to another mom,” Beth said. “She makes sure I understand what’s going on and wants Titus to have a normal life. She thoroughly checks everything but doesn’t restrict him unnecessarily.”

Heart of gratitude

Beth is profoundly grateful for the Norton Children’s Heart Institute team that has supported Titus throughout his journey.

“All of the doctors and nurses who have cared for Titus have been incredible,” she said.

Titus’s story of unwavering faith serves as an example of what is possible with support, determination — and even miracles.