SOLON, Ohio — Eric Boykin is as committed to life as he is to the many sports he loves. Boykin, 17, was born with three congenital heart defects and underwent two open-heart surgeries before he was four years old. Doctors said he would be lucky to be able to run.

“I was told to be very careful when playing sports, not to overwork my heart, and not to run too much,” Boykin said. “But, I mean, I went against what they said because I found what I liked.”

Eric Boykin and his mother Holly. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Black)

Boykin, a senior at Solon High School in Northeast Ohio, is an award-winning student-athlete. He is the captain of his lacrosse team and joined the varsity team his freshman year. He is also the captain of his soccer team, has won medals in multiple sports, and is also successful in his academic studies.

“Eric worked really hard and had a 5.0 GPA that semester, so he was the highest rated athlete, soccer player and scholar on the entire team,” said Holly Boykin, Eric’s mother.

According to the CDC, congenital heart defects are conditions that are present at birth and can affect the structure of your baby’s heart and how it works. These are the most common types of birth defects, affecting more than 40,000 births each year in the United States. Some defects are minor, while others are more serious, such as boykin.

“Honestly, I really wondered how much longer Eric was going to live,” Holly said. “When you have open heart surgery, one of the things they say is that your child may not be the same or academically as good.”

But he still is, and thanks to advances in science and technology, Boykin’s success story is not unique.

“There’s hope for people we didn’t have much to offer when I started 40 years ago,” said Kenneth Zaka, a pediatric and adult congenital heart disease cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. There wasn’t much, but now those same patients have hope.” “People born today with the same heart defect, their prospects for the future are truly amazing.”

Zaka is one of Boykin’s cardiologists. He said having a congenital heart defect used to be considered a death sentence, but now it is often nothing more than a life sentence. Doctors can diagnose defects early and treat them at an earlier age, allowing patients to continue living into adulthood.

Eric Boykin. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Black)

“As more people, more babies are diagnosed in utero before birth, plans are being developed for these patients and their families, and how to approach this in the immediate and immediate postnatal period. A multidisciplinary team plan is usually created for the “future,” Zaka said. “I don’t think there are any defects like heart defects right now. I would say there’s no treatment that seems to be effective, but that’s also a big change over time.”

Boykin is a little smaller than most boys his age, and his heart works many times harder than other boys, so he tires a little more easily. But he wants people to know that even if you’re born a little different, it doesn’t define who you are.

“It definitely gave me more confidence to overcome obstacles, knowing that if I could overcome this, I could basically overcome any obstacle,” Boykin said.

Boykin said she will probably end up having to undergo surgery again and is scared, but she won’t let fear get the better of her.

“How much time do you really have left to do all the things you love?” Boykin said. “That’s why I’m always trying to push my limits.”

Whether at his desk or on the field, Boykin gives his all in everything he does.

“He’s the definition of inspiration, defying the odds and soaring far beyond what the odds say he can or can’t do,” Solon High School head coach Nicholas Pogen said. It far exceeds the standard.” The school’s boys’ lacrosse team. “Nothing can stop him. He puts his heart, mind and soul into whatever he wants.”

The Boykin family remains grateful for science, technology, and the previous team of physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital Children’s Hospital and the current team of physicians at Cleveland Clinic.

“I believe in science,” Holly Boykin said. “I trust the experts who know much more than I do. I trust the technology and I believe we are moving forward.”

Boykin always encourages others to live their lives with love rather than with fear. His motto is “Live today, not tomorrow.”

“I just want to do the best I can with the limited time I have today,” Boykin said.