Because I would be over 35 when Madelynn was born, I had several ultrasounds throughout my pregnancy. However, her Congenital Heart Defect would not be discovered until she was 8 weeks old. She developed a cold and the coughing was so bad I felt she needed to see a doctor on a Sunday.
When I took her to the Urgent Care, the doctor could not find anything wrong with her. Then he heard her cough. The doctor chose to do a chest xray. He told us her lungs were fine but her heart was very boot shaped. Madelynn needed to see a pediatric cardiologist right away. Because she had no symptoms for what would be her eventual diagnosis, we did not see the pediatric cardiologist until two weeks later.
Our appointment was for 2 pm the last Wednesday in October. After some very lengthy tests, we were told Madelynn had a CHD, Coarctation of the Aorta. This is a very common CHD and traditionally is not repaired with OHS. However, Madelynn's Aorta was very badly damaged and it went straight up like a tree; not curved behind the heart. The only way to repair it and the hole in her heart was open heart surgery (OHS) the very next morning.
My husband and I learned about Congenital Heart Defects less 24 before our daughter had Open Heart Surgery. She was only 10 weeks old. There was no medical reason for her to be alive. The Urgent Care Doctor and the Cardiology Team at Levine Children's Hospital saved her life. We will eternally be grateful.
Happy CHD Week!!
TTFN~
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