When we think of love, we think of hearts. And when we think of hearts in the Parkland, we think of Bo.
Bo Huhman is the kind of child who fills a room with light. He loves superheroes and spends his days running, wrestling, and keeping up with his siblings. He plays hard, laughs easily, and carries a confidence that feels hard-earned for someone so young. Today Bo is a thriving 4 year old, but his journey to get here began long before his first breath.
Before Bo ever received a diagnosis, his parents, Megan and Andrew Huhman, had already walked through seasons of life that tested their faith and resilience. After Andrew was diagnosed with testicular cancer, the couple underwent two rounds of IVF in hopes of growing their family. When Megan became pregnant with Bo, it felt like a prayer answered—a miracle layered on top of survival.
That sense of relief shifted dramatically at Megan’s 20-week anatomy scan, when the sonographer struggled to visualize one of Bo’s heart ventricles. The following day, an echocardiogram confirmed what Megan had been praying against: hypoplastic left heart syndrome, one of the most severe congenital heart defects. Congenital heart defects affect approximately 1 in every 100 babies born, making them the most common birth defect in the United States—but statistics offer little comfort when your child becomes one of them.
The family traveled to Cleveland Clinic to explore the possibility of an in-utero procedure, however Bo’s condition was too severe. Soon after, a specialist in Boston asked to see him. Megan and Andrew left their daughter Paisley at home with family and relocated east, relying heavily on a support system that rose up without hesitation. Her sister even took Paisley to Disney World during that time—an act of love that Megan still holds close to her heart.
Bo was born in Boston and underwent his first open-heart surgery at just three days old. He remained hospitalized for four months while Megan and Andrew lived in survival mode—emotionally, physically, and financially. Being away from home, unable to work, and facing mounting medical costs is a reality many congenital heart families face. Megan found strength through connecting with other heart parents, especially those closer to home in St. Louis who understood the road she was walking.
At six months old, Bo underwent his second open-heart surgery at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, followed by another two-month inpatient stay. During this season, Megan often wondered if she would ever know life outside hospital walls. Simply bringing her baby home felt like the greatest victory imaginable.
Bo’s third surgery came in September 2024—and it changed everything. Surgeons rerouted veins from his legs to his heart, dramatically improving his quality of life. Today, there are no planned surgeries, a milestone Megan once never dared to hope for. Bo has also undergone surgery for feeding-tube placement, a tube that was removed just two months ago—another quiet victory in a journey defined by them.
When the family returned home after Bo’s second surgery, Megan remembers sitting at her parents’ dining room table, overwhelmed by gratitude for the community that had carried them. Support poured in—meals, prayers, financial help, encouragement. And one question lingered: how do you ever repay something like this?
The answer became the Bo Huhman Heart Foundation.
Each May, the Huhman family hosts an annual golf tournament to raise awareness and funds for families navigating congenital heart disease. What began as a way to say thank you has grown into a mission. The tournament raises approximately $40,000 annually, helping families locally whenever possible while also supporting those connected through St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The foundation works alongside organizations such as the Ali Hinkle Heart Foundation, Connor’s Cause, and Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation—proof of what’s possible when heart families lift one another up.
Congenital heart disease is not preventable, and the financial burden can be overwhelming. Many parents are forced to quit their jobs or take extended leaves to care for their children, and not every family has the support system Megan and Andrew were blessed with. That reality drives the foundation’s mission—from CPR at the Bar awareness events to themed coffee sleeves throughout the Parkland during February’s Heart Month. Last year, Bo proudly served as Heart Ambassador for Farmington and North County basketball games.
This February, as Parkland City Lifestyle celebrates loving local, we invite you to love with your whole heart. The Bo Huhman Heart Foundation’s annual golf tournament will take place May 8 at St. Francois County Country Club, with opportunities to register, volunteer, or donate silent auction items. Donations can also be made directly through the foundation’s website.
Because love looks like a little boy becoming exactly who he was meant to be. Love looks like a community that shows up when it matters most. And love, in the Parkland, will always look a lot like Bo.
“I once prayed just to leave the hospital with my baby—now I watch him run, play, and live fully.”