People with extremely rare diseases are often scattered across the world, and any one hospital has a hard time locating enough individuals to conduct meaningful research. But one woman with an extremely rare heart condition managed to do what many hospitals couldn't. Katherine Leon connected with enough people online to interest the Mayo Clinic in a research trial…Eventually Leon found the opportunity she needed. At a symposium run by womenheart.com at the Mayo Clinic, she spotted cardiologist Sharonne Hayes.

Additional coverage: GPB News, Public Health Library, KERA Texas

NPR by Gretchen Cuda-Kroen

Tags: Cardiology, Dr. Sharonne Hayes, NPR, online research trial, Research, womenheart.com