Contributed by Christina Cinca

Christina Cinca cradled the 8 ounce, fist sized object. She held in her hands the very heart that had been pumping blood inside her body hours earlier.

The Diagnosis

Christina Cinca is a sophomore at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne, Florida. When Cinca was 7 years old she was diagnosed with Restrictive Cardiomyopathy. According to Medscape, RCM is a heart condition in which the walls are rigid, and the heart is restricted from stretching and filling with blood properly. Cinca said her pediatrician discovered she had an irregular heartbeat and suggested further testing.

“My pediatrician suggested we go to a doctor in Orlando,” Cinca said. “He did a bunch of tests and told us it was something more serious than they initially thought. Ever since then, I’ve been going to University of Florida Health Shands Hospital with …
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