Writer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and Heart Center patient. At 17 years old, Shivam is already transforming hardship into hope.
Shivam’s life journey began when he was a patient at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) at Stanford when he was a few days old. Post-birth, he was diagnosed with critical aortic stenosis and congenital valve dysplasia and was transferred to our hospital for specialized care. At LPCH, he received pediatric surgery conducted by Dr. V Mohan Reddy. Dr. Reddy implemented a cardiac pacemaker to balance his heart rhythms. Over the years, Shivam has undergone various procedures and a few pacemaker replacements, spending his time in the cardiovascular intensive care unit.
As he gets older, Shivam is beginning to process what he has endured. He remembers the fear of needles, the uncertainty before surgery, and the pain of recovery. After one surgery, it took months to rebuild his strength.
“I wasn’t able to run. I wasn’t even able to speed-walk,” he recalled. Yet, step by step, he worked to regain his confidence and keep moving forward.
Visits to the emergency room also changed Shivam’s perspective. Seeing other children and families in distress stirred something powerful in him.
“What stuck with me was that I wanted to care for people in some way,” he said. “I felt a calling to help people.”
Today, Shivam is thriving. A high school senior, he plays on his school’s tennis team, enjoys walking his dog, and is preparing for college with hopes of studying health economics and entrepreneurship. He has written a book called The Rhythm of Life, inspired in part by his own experiences. Through it, he hopes to support adolescents and young children to handle stress and communicate openly with the individuals that are nurturing them.
Thus, Shivam desired to make this difference in the world; he needed a partner. Dr. Reddy introduced his parents and Shivam to Ganesh Kumar, Founder and CEO of Bloom To Life, Dr. Brijesh P. Kottayil, Dr. Krishna Kumar. Together, they began to bring awareness to Bloom To Life. Shivam desired to bring “a new beginning” to children’s lives along with the team of Bloom To Life.
Now, Shivam, MrHeartBeat (https://www.youtube.com/@MrHeart_Beat), has partnered with Bloom To Life to tell a story about how children with CHD in India are hindered and how we can impact their lives positively.
