Colorado family fights for access to lifesaving drug for infant with Barth syndrome

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, pediatric cardiologist Kathryn Chatfield [associate professor of pediatrics] helped identify Gilbert’s condition. “It’s so rare that in any given state there may be only one or two patients diagnosed,” Chatfield said. “When the mitochondria can’t produce enough energy, the heart muscle weakens. If that dysfunction progresses, the heart can fail -- and ultimately, patients may die or require a transplant.”