How 14-year-old Jai’Da Phillips faced an underlying heart condition like a champion

Standing just 4 feet, 11½ inches tall, 14-year-old Jai’Da Phillips has been a small but mighty powerhouse on the basketball court since she was five years old, eventually earning a spot on the Ponchatoula High School Lady Waves freshman team.  

There was very little that could keep her from the game, especially when she found her competitive streak participating in tournaments. 

That competitive drive came to a sudden halt during a local tournament in January 2025. While playing as usual, Jai’Da began to feel weak. From the stands, her mother, Torkedra Peters, immediately sensed something was wrong. 

“I found out later that Jai’Da told her coach she felt dizzy and had blurry vision. He told her to sit down and rest a bit,” Torkedra recalled. “I immediately asked her father to go find out what was going on.” 

Before long, Torkedra saw her daughter lying flat on the ground, with the coach and trainer by her side and she rushed to her side.  

“When I got to her, she was conscious, but her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily,” Torkedra said. “They gave her some sugar paste because they thought maybe her sugar was low. But I felt it was something else. I called 911 right away.” 

Torkedra kept one eye on the gym doors looking for the paramedics and the other eye on Jai’Da, who, by this time, had bolted upright coughing. “She was so out of it. Her eyes were glassy and she didn’t know what was going on around her,” Torkedra said. 

The ambulance took Jai’Da to a local hospital, where tests revealed her troponin levels, a protein found in the heart’s muscle cells, were extremely high. Tropinin is released into the bloodstream when the heart is damaged. The nurse informed the family that Jai’Da would be transferred to Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans to receive expert heart care.  

“The doctors said she needed to see pediatric cardiac specialists, and I knew Children’s was the best place for that,” Torkedra said. “I felt confident we were heading to the right hospital, and I wanted her to be taken to the most well-equipped facility to receive the best possible care.” 

The family lives about an hour from Children’s. Torkedra recalled, “I rode with my daughter in the ambulance and, I’ll tell you, I was scared. So scared. Luckily, Jai’Da doesn’t scare easily.” 

At Manning Family Children’s Emergency Department, the team performed imaging tests and, at first, everything appeared fine. But the next morning, pediatric cardiologist Mandy Nasworthy, MD, called with concerns after reviewing the scans again. She asked the family to return for further testing.  

“At that point, we all really wanted to know what was going on. We followed their instructions, but we were determined to get a diagnosis,” Torkedra said. 

The diagnosis they received was difficult to hear. Torkedra’s daughter, who had always been so active and healthy, had a heart condition that required surgery. Jai’Da was diagnosed with an anomalous left coronary artery, a rare condition in which the left coronary artery, the vessel that supplies blood to the heart, is not attached correctly. 

Though this was a congenital birth defect, Jai’Da’s heart condition had never been diagnosed. “She lived for 14 years without ever having so much as an irregular heartbeat,” Torkedra said. 

Surgery was scheduled for March 19. Cardiac surgeon Farshad Anvari, MD, explained the procedure in detail, answering every question from Jai’Da’s family. His plan: “unroof” the artery and create a proper opening to restore normal blood flow. 

Torkedra said all of the nurses and doctors who cared for her daughter were “absolutely great!” 

“My family asks a lot of questions, and Dr. Anvari answered every single one. He made me feel very comfortable,” she said. “He told me exactly what he would do — and he did just that!” 

The four-hour operation went smoothly. Throughout the procedure, the family received real-time updates via a mobile app — a small but meaningful comfort during a stressful day. 

“That app really made a difference,” Torkedra added. “I never felt like I was in the dark because I was kept up to date in real time.” 

Jai’Da was discharged just days later, proudly collecting signatures from her care team on a heart-shaped pillow before heading home. 

For now, basketball is on hold. Jai’Da is completing school virtually and hopes to return in person for her sophomore year. A stress test in August will determine when she can get back on the court. 

In the meantime, she’s keeping busy with friends, TikTok, and learning patience — a skill she admits doesn’t come as naturally as basketball. 

“All I want for her right now is to be able to get back to her regular activities as soon as possible,” Torkedra said. “And I think this experience has even made her want to be a nurse. Maybe it’s because everyone at the hospital was so great. They took such wonderful care of my baby, and I’m so grateful for every doctor and nurse who helped her.” 

For more information about the cardiology program at Manning Family Children’s please visit: https://www.manningchildrens.org/services/heart-center/heart-center-programs/