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Kylie's Kids: Lana Battles Defect With Heart Of A Warrior

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – If a child is born with a heart defect, the sooner they can get treatment the better.

This week's Kylie's Kid Lana may not have started treatment until she was 4-years-old, but she's beating all the doctors' expectations.

It's been just a few days since Lana's heart surgery, but you'd never know it.

Lana spent the first four years of her life in China.

"My Chinese name means 100 flowers," Lana said.

"There was a team from River Falls that went to her orphanage," Paula Tiede said.

Even though the Tiede family already had three older children, they knew it was time for one more.

"Lana needed us and we needed Lana," Paula said.

Lana was born with heart defects. She hadn't received any care yet in China, so eight hours after landing in the U.S. they came to Children's Minnesota.

"They didn't really expect her to do very well," Paula said.

But for Lana, it was no problem.

"She came in for heart surgery and six days later she was running in high heels," Paula said.

She's now 8-years-old and just finished another surgery.

"The thing we find so remarkable about her is she's not bitter, ever," Paula said.

In fact, Lana spends most of her time at the hospital looking out for other children.

"She's always praying for the babies," Paula said. "Making sure we're quiet so we don't wake them up."

Now there's something else to care for, Lana's getting a dog named Rosie.

"It's going to be my dog," Lana said. "So this is my first time having a real dog."

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