AHA Saving Babies Lives

This is harder to write than I thought it would be. I have tried to forget many of the details of this traumatic experience.

Our baby was born and a few hours later we had traveled to the nearest children's hospital. We entered the NICU where we spoke with cardiologists while they explained our newborns heart condition.

The next day there was a surgery to try to correct the heart defect. The procedure was called a balloon atrial septostomy (pretty technical terms here), they did a heart cath. This basically enlarged a small hole that every baby is born with, in an attempt to make the hole bigger and help the blood and oxygen to mix better. This was not enough to correct the problem. After this surgery she was moved to the CICU, for heart related intensive care.

That is when we learned about the open heart surgery she would need to have. Then we waited for a few days for the surgeon that would perform the surgery to arrive.

While we waited they took the ventilator out and made her breath on her own. Twenty minutes later as I was beside her bed, she stopped breathing. The hospital was prepared and got her breathing again. But, I was not prepared - that was the hardest day for me. Seeing your child stop breathing its something I will never forget.

There were so many emotions involved with this. During this time we had so much support from our family. And many friends gave support and care packages:)

The day of the surgery arrived and it was a long eight hours. It was hard to believe what was happening to my baby. They kind of explained what goes on during the surgery. Taking the body temp. down and then a machine is pumping the blood. It seemed crazy to me, how could that work. But, I know these nurses and doctors do that surgery everyday, so it must be ok.
Great news she came through it wonderfully!

Another week of watching, waiting, healing and we got to go home. It was a long three weeks in the hospital. But, at the end we got to take our baby home. There are still visits to the cardiologist and special tests. But we are hopeful that there will be no more heart surgeries in the future.

We are so happy that our baby is happy and healthy today and we know that is in part because of the research the American Heart Association has done.

Most newborns that end up in the Intensive Care Unit (NICU) don't get to bond with their mommies or daddies the way other babies do. I know I was afraid to touch my daughter, and when they said I could finally hold her I was scared of hurting her. Sometimes contact like holding is not recommended and it makes it hard to bond with those restrictions. Sometimes you can do the same things you would be doing at home only modified.

Here are a few ways to help you and your child bond: (There are certain rules for what is allowed or appropriate for your child - ask a nurse

• Talk softly to your baby while you are at their bedside
  
• Touch your child - hold hands, rub arms and legs
  
• A stuffed animal
  
• Mylar Balloons - something for baby to focus on
  
• Pictures of family
  
• Feed your infant, even if it is just a bottle
  
• Sing a song
  
• Read a book
  
• Change their diaper
  

What is jump for the heart? It is a fundraiser put on at elementary schools that is sponsored by the American Heart Association.

This type of fund-raising gets the kids involved. They get to be physically active while helping raise money for heart reasearch.

The students ask friends and family for donations. They can even get family members who live far away to donate online. Then the kids jump! The AHA wanted kids to relate exercise with a healthy heart. So the kids get moving.

Here is a poem they have to go along with the program:
Jump, Thump, Pump! Poem

Whenever you jump, jump, jump,
Hear your heart go thump, thump, thump!
That's because a jump, jump, jump
Speeds up your heart's pump, pump, pump!
Jump, jump, jump!
Thump, thump, thump!
Pump, pump, pump!

For more info on Jump for the heart Click Here!

What is TGA? Transposition of the Great Arteries is a heart defect that is present at the child's birth. The heart was not formed correctly during the first eight weeks of the pregnancy.

Because of the low oxygen amount that goes to the limbs and body, TGA is a heart problem that is often also labeled "blue-baby syndrome."

In our little ones case, the blood going to the body was not getting the oxygen it needed. The oxygen was basically just pumping out then right back into the lungs.

The treatment was open heart surgery. The surgery was called the arterial switch procedure. This surgery "switches" the aorta and pulmonary artery to the correct locations.