A Cascade teenager who has spent much of his life battling a rare heart condition is now looking toward the future after receiving a heart transplant at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Fifteen-year-old Beau Harvey was born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect in which the right side of the heart does not fully develop. Before he was born, doctors also discovered he had total anomalous pulmonary venous return and heterotaxy syndrome.
Beau was born in Michigan and needed his first open-heart surgery within hours of his birth. He later underwent additional surgeries, including a hemi-Fontan and a Fontan procedure.
The Fontan surgery was successful, but Beau developed a rare complication called plastic bronchitis. The condition caused lymphatic fluid to build up in his airways, forming rubbery casts that made it difficult for him to breathe.
His family eventually traveled to Philadelphia for specialized treatment. The procedure helped for several years, but the breathing problems returned when Beau was 12.
Doctors in Iowa and Philadelphia determined that a heart transplant was the next step.
Beau was placed on the national transplant waiting list in August 2025. Less than three months later, his family received the call they had been waiting for — a donor heart was available.
In November 2025, Beau underwent a 14-hour heart transplant at Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
The recovery was difficult. Beau spent more than four months in the hospital, nearly died three times and required ECMO to help support his heart and lungs.
After finally turning a corner, Beau returned home in March.
Today, the Cascade teen is a sophomore in high school. He enjoys math, football, video games and playing cards, and hopes to participate in sports again.
His mother, Kelsey Harvey, says the family remains grateful to the doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians and countless others who helped Beau through his long medical journey.
“Every single person at Stead Family Children’s Hospital has become family,” Kelsey said.
Beau will be honored as part of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ annual Kid Captain program during the Iowa versus UNI football game on September 19.
Source: University of Iowa Health Care, Stead Family Children’s Hospital
