In the Summer of 2024, Madeline Wingfield, a 21-year-old college student in Dallas, TX, was diagnosed with an extremely rare congenital condition affecting her aorta: a right-sided aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery, with a 16mm Kommerell’s diverticulum at the origin of the artery.

In other words, her aorta was formed backward, and her subclavian artery arose abnormally, forming a vascular ring. The vascular ring compresses her esophagus and trachea, which has caused her to have lifelong issues with swallowing, breathing, chest pain, and recurrent respiratory infections. Her Kommerell’s diverticulum refers to the aneurysmal dilation (wall made of weak cells) that covers a portion of the aorta—lack of treatment results in death. 

Due to her symptomatic complications, Dr. Alberto Pochettino, a cardiovascular surgeon at Mayo Clinic, has deemed surgical repair medically necessary to improve her quality of life and to lengthen her life expectancy. Madeline is having two surgeries with Dr. Alberto Pochettino in Rochester, Minnesota, in May of 2025. After Surgery, Madeline will stay in the Heart ICU for seven days, her total recovery time will take 8-12 weeks. 

Madeline was raised by a single mother with limited funds, making it difficult to afford the $750,000 in estimated costs for surgery, ICU care, and recovery-related expenses. Insurance coverage is still uncertain at this time.

Your generous donation, no matter the size, will directly support Madeline’s medical bills, medications, and follow-up care during this critical time. Other uses for the proceeds will be for travel expenses, food, and housing for Madeline and her family's three-week stay, as well as for unexpected costs. 

Thank you so much for your love, support, and prayers as Madeline begins this challenging journey.