Food poisoning leads to Michigan boy's organ failure, doctors diagnosing rare heart disease

What started as food poisoning for a young boy in Clinton Township, Michigan, turned into years of organ failure.

As part of American Heart Month, CBS News Detroit sat down exclusively with the family and doctor of 7-year-old Grant Maristela to raise awareness about a rare heart disease he overcame.

The Maristela Family

“The body was essentially shutting down,” said Grant’s father, Gerard Maristela.

At 3 years old, Grant ingested E coli. The family says that days later, he wound up in the emergency room with a diagnosis they would never expect.

“We were in the intensive care unit for about four weeks. From there, that’s when they realized he had kidney failure, so we were doing daily dialysis,” Gerard Mariestela said.

Grant needed a new kidney. However, three months later, his health went further downhill, and the transplant had to be put on hold.

“We were doing a routine heart exam, and that’s when they realized he had a heart issue as well,” said Gerard Mariestela.

The Maristela Family

A rare heart disease called cardiomyopathy, which means heart muscle weakness, according to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Medical director/pediatric heart failure and transplant, Dr. Swati Sehgal.

“When I first met him, his heart function was severely reduced. He was in heart failure, so to speak. Kids with kidney disease, like he was diagnosed with, can sometimes develop heart muscle weakness over time, especially if they are on dialysis,” said Sehgal.

“You question why is it happening to Grant at a very young age, how we will be able to get through,” Grant’s mother, Candice Maristela, said.

The Maristela Family

It took almost two years of medications, echocardiograms and further testing for Grant’s heart to function properly. He was then able to receive a kidney transplant on Aug. 22, 2024, successfully. The family says Grant is now healthy, fully recovered and full of life.

“He plays tennis, he plays baseball,” said Gerard.

His parents tell CBS News Detroit it was their optimism, teamwork with Grant’s medical staff and faith that gave them the strength to push through.

The Maristela Family

“I think that played a big role in not just his recovery but him enjoying all the normal things in life,” Sehgal said.

Sehgal also recommends that if parents have any concerns about their child’s heart health, they can contact a doctor right away to schedule an exam.

According to the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation, 25 kids are diagnosed with the condition each week in the United States. It’s the leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people.