Connor Iwaoka

Hello Everyone. Connor's family is grateful for the continued support and well wishes as Connor and his medical team work to improve his health. We have started this blog to help Michele, Connor's mom, keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of encouragement. Thank you for visiting. Connor's story follows:


Connor Iwaoka is a 15 year old sophomore who attends Appleton East High School in Appleton, Wisconsin.  While on vacation in Florida with his mom and sister Connor became ill and was taken by an ambulance to the local hospital in Clearwater on Monday, February 18. It was determined that Connor's heart was in need of special medical attention and within two hours he was transferred to a hospital in Tampa.  After two days there he was later air-lifted to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Fort Lauderdale. Through the medical help Connor received in Florida experts determined that Connor's Heart was abnormal and that he would eventually need a transplant. At this point it became a priority to get Connor back to Wisconsin, and after a little more than a week at Joe DiMaggio's he was transport on a medical jet to  Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee where he remains today. 

Once Connor reached Children's Hospital of Wisconsin his medical team determined that Connor's heart was functioning so poorly that he would need an artificial heart while waiting for a transplant. Within two days of reaching Wisconsin, Connor made a decision to become part of a study and have an experimental artificial heart, SynCardia,  put in, replacing his natural heart.

So this is where things stand today as we begin this blog. There have been some complications with his artificial heart, resulting in two additional surgeries, but he has made the transplant list and is waiting for a new heart.