Super Fontan: Building an App to Track My Journey from Surviving to Thriving
This project is deeply personal. I was born with congenital heart defects, including transposition of the great vessels and only one functioning ventricle. Like many living with a Fontan circulation, my life has been shaped by doctor visits, tests, and the constant reminder that my heart doesn’t work like everyone else’s.
For years I coasted along without paying much attention to fitness—until a check-in at my Fontan Clinic made it clear that my health was slipping. That scared me. I decided to start running four times a week. But I quickly realized something: standard fitness trackers weren’t built for people like me. I wasn’t just trying to hit general health goals—I wanted to know if I was progressing toward something much bigger.
The Birth of Super Fontan
That’s where the idea for the Super Fontan app was born.
The phrase “Super Fontan” comes from research showing that, even with our unique circulation, some patients can reach levels of fitness close to their peers. To me, that wasn’t just a medical term—it was hope. It meant that thriving was possible, not just surviving.
Building More Than an App
So I built an app that goes beyond counting steps or logging workouts. The Super Fontan app connects directly to Apple Health to track metrics that actually matter for Fontan physiology:
Cardiac Metrics
- Resting heart rate tracking
- Heart rate variability (HRV)
- Recovery patterns
- Exercise heart rate zones
Performance Analytics
- VO₂ max estimation
- Running distance & pace
- Stride length optimization
- Fatigue indicators
AI-Powered Insights
- Lab result interpretation
- Medication context
- Weekly progress summaries
- Super Fontan progress tracking
Each metric is compared against both normal Fontan and Super Fontan benchmarks, so I can see where I stand and where I need to improve.
The App in Action
Why AI Matters
I added AI to the app because I wanted context, not just numbers. The app interprets lab results, medication data, and conditions in plain language and in the specific context of a Fontan circulation. It generates weekly summaries, points out trends, and even gives me a prognosis of how I’m progressing toward Super Fontan status.
The Technical Stack
HealthKit
Core Data
OpenAI GPT-4
CloudKit
Charts Framework
Machine Learning
More Than Code
For me, this app is more than code. It’s accountability, motivation, and encouragement rolled into one. It’s my way of reframing the Fontan story—not around limitation, but around possibility.
Every morning when I check my metrics, I’m not just looking at numbers. I’m looking at progress. I’m looking at proof that with the right tools, the right mindset, and the right data, we can push beyond what we thought was possible.
The Vision Forward
My hope is that Super Fontan can do the same for others like me: turning the dream of becoming a Super Fontan into a daily, trackable, achievable journey. Because we deserve tools built specifically for us—tools that understand our unique physiology and help us reach our unique potential.
Current Status: After 6 months of using the app, my VO₂ max has increased by 15%, my resting heart rate has dropped by 8 bpm, and I’m running distances I never thought possible. I’m not a Super Fontan yet, but for the first time in my life, I can see the path to get there.
The Super Fontan app is proof that when you build technology to solve your own problems—especially the deeply personal ones—you create something that truly matters. It’s not just an app; it’s hope, quantified.