A 6-year-old girl and her kindergarten teacher have something very special in common: matching scars from their open-heart surgeries.

Kennedy Vogt is a student at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida, where her teacher, Carlene Honor, also underwent heart surgery.

The school intentionally paired them up — creating a bond of “heart twins” that goes far beyond the classroom.

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Vogt was just 5 years old when a trip to the emergency room for flu and pneumonia led to the surprise diagnosis of a hole in her heart about the size of a nickel.

“It’s a rare congenital heart defect that affects the structure of the heart while it’s formed during pregnancy,” Dr. Matthew Zussman, a pediatric cardiologist at AdventHealth for Children, who is also the girl’s doctor, told Fox News Digital.

“Specifically, Kennedy had what’s known as an atrial septal defect, which causes a hole in the upper heart chambers and increases the amount of blood flowing through the lungs,” he went on. 

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While the defect doesn’t usually cause complications during childhood, it can lead to heart and lung disease in adulthood if it goes untreated, the doctor said.

The diagnosis was a shock to the family, as Vogt — an active, happy child and aspiring gymnast — had not displayed any warning signs. 

Open-heart surgery was necessary to close the hole in her heart due to its location. 

Honor and Vogt compare their matching scars from open-heart surgery. “I wanted her to know that she can have a normal life just like anybody else, even with a scar,” Honor said of her young student.  (Kristin Green-Vogt)

“The operation involves making an incision along the breastbone, connecting the patient to a heart-lung bypass machine and patching the hole,” Zussman said.

In May 2023, Vogt underwent open-heart surgery at AdventHealth for Children in Orlando.

“It was definitely hard, but everyone was wonderful and the surgery went smoothly,” said Kristin Green-Vogt, the girl’s mom. “Everything went as perfectly as that situation can go.”

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“I just thank God for modern medicine,” she added, referring to her daughter’s surgery scar as “a badge of honor.”

After just three days in the hospital, Vogt was back to her normal activities, practicing cartwheels and going to school.

“The thing people don’t realize about kids and open-heart surgery is how resilient kids are,” Zussman said. “What takes an adult patient months to recover from only takes kids a few days, and that was definitely true in Kennedy’s case.”

Bond beyond the classroom

At Lake Island Preparatory School, Vogt formed a fast connection with Honor, who lives in East Orlando with her husband, a retired Air Force member. 

Carlene Honor has been teaching for 13 years.

Five years ago, Honor had a heart attack while attending a girls basketball game at the school.

Teacher and student embrace at the American Heart Association Heart Walk in Nov. 2023. (American Heart Association)

“I stood up to hug someone and then just kind of passed out,” she told Fox News Digital. “But I was very blessed to be at Lake Highland when it happened.”

Fortunately, one of the fathers of a cheerleader at the game happened to be an AdventHealth doctor, and there was an automated external defibrillator (AED) available.

“It was just God’s timing,” Honor said. “Everything lined up to save my life.”

“I thank God that He allowed our paths to cross.”

After undergoing quintuple coronary bypass surgery, she made a full recovery — and is now feeling healthy and strong.

Looking back, Honor recognizes some warning signs she missed, such as shortness of breath and fatigue.

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“I tell everybody now: Listen to your body,” Honor said. “From that point on, I made a commitment to myself to do better when it comes to my health.”

Since the surgery, Honor has lost 70 pounds. She is now more disciplined about walking every day and keeping up with doctor’s appointments.

“She’s so independent, so self-sufficient — just a great all-around student,” Honor said of her heart-surgery buddy. “I consider Kennedy and her mom to be family.” (Kristin Green-Vogt)

As soon as Honor heard about Vogt’s surgery, she said she was anxious to meet her.

“I wanted her to know that she can have a normal life just like anybody else, even with a scar,” she said. 

Honor described Vogt as “amazing within herself.”

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“I thank God that He allowed our paths to cross,” she said. “I get to teach a variety of students, but she is just remarkable. She has a great personality — very outgoing, lively, super funny, somewhat of a perfectionist, but very easy to love.”

At first, Honor assumed she would have to take care of Vogt, but she quickly realized the girl didn’t need to be “handled with kid gloves.”

“She’s so independent, so self-sufficient — just a great all-around student,” she said. “I consider Kennedy and her mom to be family.”

“Pediatricians are often the first line of defense in diagnosing heart defects, so it’s important that children have regular check-ups.”

Vogt’s mother described her daughter and teacher as “tough cookies.”

“This was just a speed bump for them,” she told Fox News Digital. “They’re happy to share it and I hope help other people, but it’s not their full story.”

Student and teacher are described as “tough cookies.” This past November, the pair did the local American Heart Association Heart Walk together, along with over 15,000 people from the Greater Orlando area. (Kristin Green-Vogt)

In Nov. 2023, Vogt and Honor did the local American Heart Association Heart Walk together, along with more than 15,000 people from the Greater Orlando area.

Vogt was named the ambassador of the event; she kicked off the walk in a red pace car.

“It was amazing,” said Vogt’s mother. “For me personally, it was like closure. Everybody rallied around us. It just was really special.”

Heart disease in kids

While congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect in the U.S., they are still fairly rare, affecting only about 1% of births, or about 40,000 children per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

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“Kennedy was diagnosed with an even rarer atrial septal defect, which only accounts for about 20,000 medical cases a year,” said Zussman, Vogt’s doctor at AdventHealth for Children.

Since Vogt’s surgery, she’s had regular visits for ultrasounds and for doctors to listen to her heart — and Zussman said the team is “ecstatic” about how well she’s doing. 

AdventHealth for Children in Orlando, Florida, is one of the premier children’s health care networks in the U.S. (iStock)

“During her last appointment a few weeks ago, I actually told Kennedy and her mom that we probably only have one appointment left before she’s ready to transition to just seeing her pediatrician again,” he said.

“That’s a testament to our incredible team of congenital heart disease experts and elite pediatric cardiovascular surgeons at AdventHealth for Children.”

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The cause of congenital heart defects is not entirely known, the cardiologist noted, while other types of heart disease that develop later in life are often caused by lifestyle habits.  

Every child is different, and some don’t display clear-cut symptoms of heart defects.

While congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect in the U.S., they are still fairly rare, affecting only about 1% of births. (iStock)

“I can think of children we’ve treated who were balls of energy — playing, happy, showing absolutely no signs that anything was wrong with their heart,” the doctor said.

That said, there are some warning signs parents should be aware of, Zussman noted.

“Those include shortness of breath; fatigue; swelling of the legs, feet or belly; abnormal heart palpitations; and trouble physically keeping up with friends and classmates,” he said. 

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“Pediatricians are often the first line of defense in diagnosing heart defects, so it’s important that children have regular check-ups,” Zussman advised. 

“If you’re concerned about a possible heart issue, trust your instincts and ask for a referral to see a cardiologist.”

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health. 

Most of us get the hiccups from time to time. While they can be annoying, they generally go away on their own before too long.

But sometimes a stubborn case of the hiccups can go on for minutes or even up to an hour. If you’re at work or in a social situation, it can be embarrassing and a nuisance. 

To better understand the cause of hiccups and how to get rid of them, Fox News Digital reached out to two doctors who are experts on the condition.

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Here are revealing insights. 

What causes hiccups?

Hiccups are an involuntary and rapid contraction of the diaphragm muscle and the muscles between the ribs that expand the lungs to breathe, followed immediately by closure of the glottis. 

That’s the muscular flap that closes the airway after swallowing, said Mark Loafman, M.D., a board-certified family physician with Cook County Health in Chicago, Illinois.

“The glottis closing is what causes the ‘hic’ sound,” he told Fox News Digital.

Most hiccup episodes are short-lived and are not cause for concern, according to Loafman.  

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“Longer episodes are associated with a wide variety of conditions, ranging from benign to serious, though sometimes we never find the cause for persistent bouts of hiccups,” he said.

Some people do have a greater susceptibility than others, he noted. 

One strategy to get rid of hiccups is to hold your breath as tolerated for five or even 10 seconds, a doctor said. (iStock)

“Routine hiccups are most common among older and taller men,” he said. 

“There are a few theories about why that is — perhaps the long body type affects the various neuromuscular tissues involved, but no one knows for certain.”

Tips for getting rid of hiccups

While home remedies exist for hiccups, there is variable evidence on what actually works, said Natasha Bhuyan, M.D., a family doctor with One Medical in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Hiccups are essentially a reflex, so many of the remedies are trying to interrupt the signals causing the reflex,” she said. “This is why so many cures involve odd ways of drinking or eating.”

Sipping or gargling icy-cold water, biting into a lemon, swallowing a teaspoon of dry sugar or pulling on your tongue are other home remedies that the doctor suggested.  (iStock)

Although there are no clinical trials on home remedies, Loafman noted that some patients have found some benefit from several of the methods.

One strategy is to hold your breath as tolerated for five or even 10 seconds, he suggested.

Another idea is to try a Valsalva maneuver, which is usually done by closing one’s mouth and pinching one’s nose shut while expelling air, per the National Institutes of Health.

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Sipping or gargling icy-cold water, biting into a lemon, swallowing a teaspoon of dry sugar or pulling on your tongue are other home remedies that Loafman suggested. 

“Keep in mind that hiccups are most always self-limited and will stop no matter what you do, so any remedy will appear to work eventually because the hiccups stop on their own,” the doctor said. 

Experts advise seeking medical attention if hiccups persist for hours at a time, are frequently recurring or interfere with basic, everyday functions. (iStock)

When it comes to the age-old tactic of “scaring someone” out of their hiccups, Loafman said that is folklore and probably doesn’t work. 

“But hiccups are almost always going to stop on their own anyway, so scaring someone could appear to be effective at times,” he said.

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Dietary choices can also play a role in controlling hiccups, said Loafman — particularly overeating.

“If someone notices a pattern with certain foods, we would suggest making a change there as well,” he said. 

When should you seek medical attention?

It’s advised to seek medical attention if hiccups persist for hours at a time, are frequently recurring or interfere with basic function, Loafman said.

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While hiccups are short-lasting and totally benign most of the time, persistent episodes are associated with some chronic and sometimes serious health conditions. 

These can include central nervous disorders, diabetes, kidney disease and esophageal issues, per the Mayo Clinic. 

A medical provider can assess the situation further.

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The largest COVID vaccine study to date has identified some risks associated with the shot.

Researchers from the Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) in New Zealand analyzed 99 million people who received COVID vaccinations across eight countries.

They monitored for increases in 13 different medical conditions in the period after people received a COVID vaccine.

The study, which was published in the journal Vaccine last week, found that the vaccine was linked to a slight increase in neurological, blood and heart-related medical conditions, according to a press release from GVDN.

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People who received certain types of mRNA vaccines were found to have a higher risk of myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle.

Some viral-vector vaccines were linked to a higher risk of blood clots in the brain, as well as an increased likelihood of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves.

Other potential risks included inflammation of part of the spinal cord after viral vector vaccines, and inflammation and swelling in the brain and spinal cord after viral vector and mRNA vaccines, the press release stated.

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“The size of the population in this study increased the possibility of identifying rare potential vaccine safety signals,” lead author Kristýna Faksová of the Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark, said in the release.

“Single sites or regions are unlikely to have a large enough population to detect very rare signals.”

Doctors react to the findings

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in the research but commented on the findings.

More than 80% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, per the CDC. (iStock)

“The massive study and review of the data reveals some rare association of the MRNA vaccines and myocarditis, especially after the second shot, as well as an association between the Oxford Astra Zeneca adenovirus vector vaccines and Guillain Barre syndrome,” he told Fox News Digital.

“But these risks are rare,” he added, “and other studies show that the vaccine decreases the risk of myocarditis from COVID itself dramatically.”

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Siegel noted that all vaccines have side effects.

“It always comes down to a risk/benefit analysis of what you are more afraid of — the vaccine’s side effects or the virus itself, which can have long-term side effects in terms of brain fog, fatigue, cough and also heart issues,” he said.

“Denying or exaggerating a vaccine’s side effects is not good science — nor is underestimating the risks of the virus, especially in high-risk groups,” Siegel added.

“It comes down to a risk/benefit analysis of what you are more afraid of — the vaccine’s side effects or the virus itself.”

The key is for doctors and their patients to carefully weigh the risks and benefits, the doctor emphasized.

“This study does not really change anything; it just provides much further evidence of what we already know,” he said.

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Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, also reacted to the study’s findings. 

“This study is confirming in a much larger cohort what has been previously identified in the original studies during the pandemic — myocarditis and pericarditis as a rare side effect of mRNA vaccines and clots as a rare side effect of the viral vectored vaccines,” he told Fox News Digital.

Finley Martin, 14, is seen getting a shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the First Baptist Church of Pasadena, May 14, 2021, in Pasadena, California. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

“The odds of all of these adverse events are still much, much higher when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), so getting vaccinated is still by far the safer choice.”

This study was part of a more widespread research initiative, the Global COVID Vaccine Safety (GCoVS) Project.

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The project is supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

More than 80% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, per the CDC.

Fox News Digital reached out to Pfizer and Moderna, makers of mRNA COVID vaccines, for comment.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

A study that analyzed the genetic code of a quarter of a million U.S. volunteers found more than 275 million entirely new variants that may help explain why some groups are more prone to disease than others, researchers reported on Monday.

The whole genome sequencing data from a wide range of Americans aims to address the historical lack of diversity in existing genomic datasets by focusing on previously under-represented groups. The U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded “All of Us” study turned up 1 billion genetic variants in total.

“Sequencing diverse populations can lead to new drug targets that are relevant to everyone,” said Dr. Josh Denny, a study author and its chief executive. “It can also help uncover disparities that lead to specific treatments for people that are experiencing higher burdens of disease or different disease.”

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Although many genetic variants have no impact on health, nearly 4 million of the newly discovered differences in the genetic code are located in areas that may be tied to disease risk, the researchers reported in a series of papers published in Nature and related journals.

“This is huge,” said Denny. The study aims to eventually collect DNA and other health data on 1 million people in hopes of better understanding genetic influences on health and disease.

Nearly 90% of genomic studies to date have been done in people of European ancestry, which has led to a narrow understanding of the biology of diseases and slowed the development of drugs and prevention strategies effective in diverse populations, the leaders of several NIH departments wrote in a related commentary.

“It’s a huge gap, obviously, because most of the world’s population is not of European ancestry,” Denny said.

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Recent studies have already shown how genetic diversity can impact disease risk. Variants in the APOL1 gene discovered in 2010 help account for 70% of the increased risk for chronic kidney disease and dialysis seen in people in the U.S. with sub-Saharan African ancestry.

Likewise, a class of drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors that dramatically lower very high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – the so-called bad cholesterol – were discovered by sequencing the genetic code of 5,000 people in Dallas of African ancestry.

Much more work is needed to understand how the new trove of genetic variants contributes to various health conditions, but the scientists believe they could be used to refine tools used to calculate a person’s risk for disease.