When Jack Guyre was born, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot, which changes the normal flow of blood through the heart. Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles Fraser Jr. repaired the defect when Jack was 9 months old. Following a relatively healthy childhood combined with monitoring by Texas Children’s cardiologists, Dr. Henri Justino placed a stent via catheter in Jack’s heart in 2014.
Jack, now 12, isn’t restricted in his activity, and he is not on any medication. He visits Texas Children’s once a year for a check-up and enjoys playing competitive soccer. With the approval of his cardiologist, Dr. Daniel Penny, Texas Children’s cardiology chief, Jack set out to accomplish a bucket list goal – completing the 2017 Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
On January 15, in a sea thousands, Jack crossed the finish line alongside his mom and dad with an impressive time of 2:44:25. Though he will likely need to undergo heart surgery again in the future, his parents and doctors couldn’t be prouder.
“Jack has overcome challenges that none of us, thankfully, have had to face,” Penny said. “And he’s come through those with great spirit and determination.”
Click here to watch Channel 11 KHOU’s story about Jack’s extraordinary accomplishment.