From Heart Warrior to Heart Advocate: Why I Wear the Crown for Children Like My Son

By Madeline Tomchick Runco, Mrs. DC America 2025

My story begins not with a title or a crown—but with a scar.

I was born with a congenital heart defect (CHD), a condition I would only come to fully understand as I got older. As a child, I underwent open-heart surgery, an experience that not only saved my life but quietly shaped my purpose. At the time, I didn’t know that I was a “heart warrior”—a term used to describe those who live with and fight CHD. I only knew that my heart was different, and that I was lucky to be here.

Years later, my understanding of CHD deepened in a way I never could have anticipated—when I became a mother.

When our son Alexander was born, James and I were overjoyed. He was our perfect, curious, bright-eyed baby boy. At my twenty week appointment, our world turned upside down when doctors discovered he, too, had a congenital heart defect. Hearing the same diagnosis I had once received—only now as a parent—was both devastating and surreal.

Watching your child go through what you once survived is a pain that’s hard to describe. There were wires, hospital walls, sleepless nights, and endless prayers. But there was also strength, science, and support. Today, Alexander is thriving—a vibrant, music-loving little boy who dances like no one is watching and lights up every room he enters. He is my heart warrior, just like his mama.

That journey—from patient to parent—is what fuels my platform as Mrs. DC America 2025. I proudly represent our nation’s capital not just with a sash, but with a mission: to raise awareness and critical funding for CHD research through The Children’s Heart Foundation. CHDs are the most common birth defect in the U.S., yet they are severely underfunded compared to other childhood conditions.

This isn’t just a cause for me—it’s my calling.

As Mrs. DC America, I am using every opportunity to educate families, amplify the voices of CHD warriors and their caregivers, and raise funds that will drive research forward. I chair the Washington DC Congenital Heart Walk, and I’m committed to making sure no family ever feels alone on this journey.

The pageant world often celebrates beauty and grace, but for me, it’s about using this platform for advocacy, resilience, and impact. Behind the gown is a mother who has sat beside an ICU bed. Behind the crown is a survivor who believes in the power of community and research to save lives.

I carry the title proudly, but more than that—I carry the stories of every child and parent touched by CHD. I carry Alexander. I carry myself as a little girl, unsure of what the future would hold. And I carry the hope that one day, no parent will have to fear a diagnosis like ours.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let’s fight for every heartbeat—together.

View Madeline's fundraising page for The Children's Heart Foundation and make a contribution here.