Young OSU fan worried heart surgery would make him love Michigan
It's no secret that Ohio State–Michigan rivalry runs deep. It starts young. Once you take a side, you never leave it.
With that said, 10-year-old Buckeyes fan Ivan Applin had one big concern before undergoing successful heart surgery.
Applin, who lives in Toledo, Ohio, was born with atrial septal defect, which meant he had holes in his heart that interfering with blood flow to the rest of his organs. As he grew older, the holes grew larger and enlarged his heart. To make sure Ivan would avoid any more problems as a result, he went to the University of Michigan's children's hospital, known for its work repairing heart defects and its use of a new Cardioform device to help plug holes.
Naturally, as his Michigan doctor showed him the Cardioform, Ivan had a question.
“He asked if the Michigan doctors were going to make his heart love University of Michigan instead of Ohio State,” his mother Jennifer said.
Ivan underwent the procedure just fine, and went home the next morning. He's excited to return to soccer practice in a few weeks.
And so far, he still loves the Buckeyes.
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