At first glance, Ryan and Cole Allison seem like any other boys from Arkansas. They love camping, sports and video games. But the brothers were each born with long QT syndrome, a rare, hereditary and potentially life-threatening condition that disrupts the heart’s rhythm.
As babies, both Ryan and Cole had devices implanted at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) to help manage their condition. Ryan received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) at 15 months old. Two years later, then 5-month-old Cole had a pacemaker installed.
As a child, Ryan underwent several additional procedures at ACH, facing them with remarkable ease.
“Ryan knew all the anesthesiologists. He’d joke with them,” says Leslie, the boys’ mother. “For Ryan to go back to the OR as many times as he did, he never really batted an eye.”
Credit: Allison Maxwell
But when doctors at ACH determined in 2023 that Cole needed his pacemaker replaced with an ICD, Leslie worried her younger son would have a tougher time.
“He’s not a fan of needles or really any of this,” Leslie adds.
Having seen the excellent care Ryan received, Leslie and her husband Bobby asked for the same cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Lawrence Greiten.
Cole’s pre-op assessments went smoothly, but when the procedure ran much longer than expected, Leslie knew something was wrong.
Greiten eventually brought news that stunned the Allisons. Cole had gone into cardiac arrest multiple times during the procedure. The pacemaker’s lead wire had wrapped around his heart.
Greiten ultimately made the lifesaving call to remove the device, leads and wire entirely. After the surgery, Cole was placed on a ventilator and ECMO (a heart/lung bypass machine). After four days, Cole’s condition stabilized. Another two days later, he was awake and breathing on his own. Almost miraculously, a year later, tests showed his heart had sustained no lasting damage.
But the Allisons weren’t through with heart surgeries just yet.
That December, Ryan began having issues with his ICD. In March 2024, the cardiology and cardiac surgery teams partnered to replace and relocate the device to his upper chest. Thankfully, there were no major complications.
Credit: Allison Maxwell
For the Allisons, ACH has been a constant — not just a hospital, but a place where skilled providers and familiar faces have guided them through every twist and turn.
Today, whenever she sees Greiten, Leslie can’t help but hug him. And every year, the family sends a gift on the anniversary of the day the ACH team saved Cole’s life. Leslie says they are Cole’s guardian angels and the family’s heroes.
“It’s a day that’s forever etched in our memories,” she says. “Any time we see them, we thank them.”
Arkansas Children’s is undergoing a historic $318 million expansion to help better serve children like Ryan and Cole. With your support, the expansion will increase access to pediatric care, enhance exceptional outcomes for kids and improve patient experience.
To learn more about the expansion, click here. To support Arkansas Children’s growth, click here or call 800.880.7491 today.
Credit: Allison Maxwell
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