A Mom's Letter
Samuel Garrett was born on June 22, 2008. We had no idea that he had anything wrong with his heart until 14 hours after his birth. Then, in a whirlwind of EKGs, echocardiograms and x-rays, we were informed that he had L-TGA, pulmonary atresia and a VSD. Sam wouldn't be able to come home without having open heart surgery. He was transferred to another local hospital that had a NICU and then to the University of Michigan to await surgery.
What followed was the most horrendous year of my life. The only bright spots I had were my kids....
After Sam had his first open heart surgery, he had numerous complications. He had a cardiac arrest and was placed on a heart/lung bypass machine for two days, he developed an infection in his incision, a blood infection, a paralyzed diaphragm and an intestinal infection. He left the hospital when he was 57 days old.
He came home with many different medicines, including one that my husband and I had to give through a long-term IV in his arm. Sam also came home with a feeding tube because he didn't learn to eat in the first few weeks of his life.
Our life became centered around Sam. He saw a physical therapist and occupational therapist weekly, the cardiologist monthly, a nutritionist, a pediatric surgeon, and a neurologist in addition to his normal checkups at the pediatrician.
Over the course of the next 11 months, Sam had his second open heart surgery as well as three abdominal surgeries to place a more permanent feeding tube. Through all of this, Sam was the absolute happiest baby that I've ever met.
We lost our precious Samster on June 14, 2009. His feeding tube perforated his intestine and he deveoped a massive infection. It would have been hard for a healthy child to battle it, much less a little one with a weak heart.
Christina Baugh