# Normalcy Bias Prevented Me from Recognizing My Daughter’s Heart Failure

> A mother’s normalcy bias hid her daughter’s heart failure until it was too late.
- Title: Normalcy Bias Prevented Me from Recognizing My Daughter’s…
- Summary: A mother’s normalcy bias hid her daughter’s heart failure until it was too late. A mother’s normalcy bias prevented her from recognizing her daughter’s heart…
- Keywords: karuna, normalcy bias, heart failure, parvovirus b19, cardiac ultrasound, pediatric icu, heart transplant, medical crisis, Normalcy, Bias, Prevented, Recognizing
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/13/normalcy-bias-prevented-me-from-recognizing-my-daughter-s-heart-failure
- Author: Raj Panjabi
- Published: 2026-10-13T10:00:03.861+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: karuna, normalcy bias, heart failure, parvovirus b19, cardiac ultrasound, pediatric icu, heart transplant, medical crisis
## Normalcy bias definition
A mother assumed her third child would be healthy like her first two.
## Karuna’s early health
My children played with her while she giggled and took her first steps.
## Early signs of trouble
Karuna refused meals and her weight dropped below 97% of children her age.
## Nutritionist intervention
We added PediaSure formula and increased it to multiple bottles per day.
## Symptoms worsened
Karuna slept more, was irritable, and lay on the floor while others played.
## Critical diagnosis
The X-ray showed Karuna’s heart was more than double the size of normal.
## Heart failure confirmed
The doctor confirmed Karuna had heart failure after the X-ray.
## ICU treatment
Amisha and I spent sleepless nights in the pediatric ICU with Karuna.
## Diagnosis details
Her heart was infected with parvovirus B19 and genetic testing showed a variation.
## Future scenarios
Her heart might need a transplant or she might recover with lifelong medication.
## Current status
Four years later, Karuna’s heart ultrasound looks normal but the doctor says she’s not fully recovered.
## Key takeaway

A mother’s normalcy bias prevented her from recognizing her daughter’s heart failure until it was too late.