Even on the gloomiest days at Arroyo Grande High School, Annika Ringer (‘25) never lets anything take the smile from her face.
“We call it the Annika effect,” Ringer’s mother Renee Frogge said. “She has this way about her that is a little bit magical once you get to know her.”
Ringer enjoys dancing, singing, and musical theater. On the weekends, Ringer can be found hanging out with her best friend Xeina Kyer (‘25), who she attended the homecoming dance with. This year Ringer was on the senior Homecoming Court.
“[The best part of school is] Homecoming, of course,” Ringer said.
Outside the school campus, Ringer continues spreading her joy to anyone she encounters.
“She’s a gift that keeps me present, and she reminds me every moment of what’s important in life,” Frogge said. “That is just [due to] being good-hearted, kind, and thoughtful.”
Frogge is not the only one who recognizes Ringers’ standout personality. Michelle Filice, a paraprofessional teacher who aids Ringer throughout her school day, is inspired by Ringer’s joy.
“[Annika has] the most bubbly personality,” Filice said. “She never shows an angry bone, and she has a contagious smile.”
With Ringer’s big smile and joyful personality, one would never guess the battle Ringer fought since she was born. Ringer has a heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot. This defect results in many problems for Ringer.
“We noticed that she was having a hard time breathing, and she was extremely tired,” Filice said. “The color of her skin [was gray], and she wasn’t doing too well.”
Until this point, Ringer’s condition had been managed through previous surgeries that began at three months old. Her most recent heart surgery was in September 2024.
“It’s not her first surgery, and it probably won’t be her last,” Frogge said. “She’s had a lot of surgeries.”
When Ringer was three years old, her doctors placed a prosthetic valve inside of Ringer’s heart. This valve temporarily improved Annika’s quality of life by freeing her to engage in her favorite activities.
“The lifespan of these valves is 10-15 years, and it [had been] 12 years [since she received the valve],” Frogge said. “[Ringer] went for her annual check-up, and we found out it wasn’t working.”
Before the deterioration of her valve was confirmed, Ringer was experiencing intense fatigue and difficulty breathing. This meant another surgery for Ringer.
“[Ringer’s surgeons] were going in to [replace] and put in a second melody valve,” Frogge said.
The surgeon walked into the operating room expecting to replace an entire heart valve. However, during surgery, the surgeon discovered that Ringer’s valve did not need to be replaced, the valve needed to be repaired instead.
“They didn’t need to put a new [valve] in,” Frogge said. “They just expanded [the valve] to extend [its] life.”
A few weeks later, an energized Ringer burst through her first-period class with a smile on her face and ready to learn, and ready to tear up the dance floor at homecoming.
“I’m proud of myself about my surgery,” Ringer said.
Even through hardship, such as her surgery, Ringer chooses to face each day with a positive outlook on her life.
