For the past 2 years, we covered Aidden Tilly, a student with a rare heart condition, who received a heart last year. This rare heart condition is called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Essentially it cause the the left portion of the his heart to not work properly so it caused the right side to work extra hard to get blood into his body.

Aidden has been at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for the last couple of years now and he returned to school last september. His change from the clinic to the bustling school has been difficult.

“It kinda been difficult since I was doing school in the hospital which I wasn’t doing much of and when I came back it was just a lot,” said Aidden Tilly, a freshman this year at Spectrum.

With Aidden’s return it not only affects his life but others around him as well especially his family members.

“Definitely a lot more helping him out than before because it was mainly my parents and Mrs. Sundberg that would help him out a bunch,” said Wyatt Tilly, a current junior at Spectrum and Aidden’s brother.

Aidden’s and Wyatt’s mother, Natalie Barker said, “Before he would do 1 hour of school a day when he was in the hospital now he’s doing a full day at school going Monday through Friday.” 

This big change from the hospital to school changes the routines of the family but the family has to be willing to adapt to the difficult change.

Wyatt Tilly said, “definitely transportation it’s been a really big thing mainly its remembering hey he’s at school cause a lot out of the time he gets sick because of his medicine and stuff [also difficult] for my parents it like how get we get him home if i go home early.”

“Our routine was much different before it was living in a hospital and being 2 hours away from home now we get to be at home and Aidden gets to go to school,” said Barker. 

One unique thing about Aidden’s time at Mayo Clinic was the Mrs. Sundberg the former accompanist here at Spectrum helped Aidden through his time there. Mrs. Sundberg logged on everyday to help Aidden with certain assignments he had to complete.

“She was very patient and understanding of what he was going through as well so I couldn’t say enough good things about Ms Sundberg,” said Barker.

Aidden has had many twists and turns from the hospital to school and with the help from all his friends and families he has been able to get an education.