Emily, born 2003

When we were expecting our first born we thought everything was going well. My blood pressure had always been high but we trusted the doctor to take care of that. At 37 weeks we were sent to the hospital because my blood pressure had gotten too high. Another doctor explained that they needed to get her out because she wasn't growing due to my hypertension. She was born via C-section at 4 and a half pounds and kept in NICU for 6 days. They told us she was healthy and we were finally able to take her home. It became clear quite quickly that there was something wrong. She would spit up a larger than normal amount after every feeding, appeared to sweat a lot, wouldn't sleep for more than an hour at a time and woke up screaming. My mommy instincts told me something was terribly wrong but all the doctors kept telling me it was just typical first time mom nervousness. At two and a half years old, 19 pounds, and 12 doctors and specialists later we finally found a doctor who listened. A chest x-ray revealed Scimitar Syndrome and Atrial Septal Defect. She was scheduled for open heart surgery within 5 weeks at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. The Night of her surgery was the first time she ever slept through the night. A year later she had a pacemaker implanted due to a falling heart rate. Emily is now 11 years old and a very active girl. She loves being outside with her animals on our farm and lives an abundant life. We thank God every day for His mercy and the gift of life!

 

Story by Emily’s mom, Christie – Missouri