Toddler's Heart Failure Linked to Common Winter Viruses

A two-year-old girl named Brinley Wyczalek from Ohio developed heart failure after recovering from concurrent COVID and RSV infections. Initially, her family believed she had fully recovered from the winter illnesses. However, about six months later, a bout of croup led to the discovery of an enlarged heart, medically known as cardiomegaly.

Further testing at Cleveland Clinic revealed Brinley had dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition causing the heart chambers to stretch and enlarge, leading to heart failure. Doctors believe that either COVID or RSV triggered myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. This inflammation, in turn, caused lasting damage to Brinley's heart.

Brinley spent a year on oral medications to manage her condition, but by October 2025, her health worsened. She was admitted to Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital and later underwent surgery to be fitted with a Berlin heart, a ventricular assist device. This device acts as a bridge to a potential heart transplant.

Now four years old, Brinley is awaiting a heart transplant and is one of 1,200 children on the national waiting list. Her mother, Berlyn Wyczalek, is advocating for routine cardiac screenings for children, emphasizing that common viruses can have severe, unseen consequences on the heart.