Watching Henry Anderson at play, you would never know he’s a miracle child. On one recent day, he’s playing with anything he can get his hands on, squirming in his mother Mandy’s lap.

But Henry, at 2-and-a-half years old, has already been on an arduous journey. The Columbia Falls toddler was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital heart condition where the left side of the heart does not fully develop.

Fortunately, doctors caught the defect at 20 weeks, when Henry was still in the womb.

Hours after birth, Henry had his first heart surgery. He had another a few days later as doctors reconstructed the plumbing in his heart to make up for the defect, Mandy explained.

Things went well with the surgery, but Henry caught Covid and had a bacterial infection while being treated at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.

He spent the first month of his life in the hospital.

Henry had another surgery at four months old to further replumb the heart and will have another one at about age 4. Instead of a two pump heart, Henry has a one pump heart.

He’s going at life full bore.

“He’s a bruiser,” Mandy said.

The only medication the young boy takes is a baby aspirin.

The Anderson family upended their life for a couple of years. Mandy was director of the Boys and Girls Club of Glacier Country, but she had to quit her job -- as did her husband, Chris. They have two older daughters, age 8 and 5.

Mandy has family in Utah, which was a big help. Still, the surgery cost $2 million, most of which was paid for through Medicaid. Once Henry recovered, the Andersons moved back home to Columbia Falls. Chris works for Flathead Electric Cooperative, as he has a background as an electrician, after previously working for Weyerhaeuser.

Mandy, with her background in nonprofits, has been helping with Montana Brave Hearts. While childhood cancers draw a lot of attention, child heart conditions impact one out of every 100 births, Mandy said. About 25% need a life-saving surgery within the first year of birth.

Montana Brave Hearts supports families dealing with childhood heart conditions. Founded by a nurse, the nonprofit has an all-volunteer staff and looks to defray costs outside of surgery and medical expenses.

“We are a community of families, physicians and community members that have walked this path and experienced the highs and lows,” the organization notes.

People can learn more at montanabravehearts.org.

As Henry’s defect was congenital, the Andersons have had all their hearts checked, and they’re fine.

As for Henry, he goes 100% most of the time, but he doesn’t like the cold, as the lower half of his body has passive blood flow.

But many children with his condition have had similar treatments and are now living normal lives.

“It’s been a journey,” Mandy said. “It’s opened my eyes to a lot of things.”