Jack, born 2017

Our Jack was born on August 18th, 2017 at 8 lbs, 6 oz. I had a healthy pregnancy and my sonograms never raised any concerns to my doctor so I thought I had nothing to worry about going into delivery. He is our third child so I immediately knew something was wrong when the nurse laid him on my chest and all I saw was his blue skin. The nurse noticed the same thing I did when he wasn't responding and took him across the room where they tried to get him to breathe. I knew something was more serious when about 7 nurses came rushing in and soon after my son was rushed out of the delivery room and into the NICU.

 

My husband rushed behind them to be with our newborn son and I was left in the delivery room wondering if my son was even going to survive. After what felt like forever, a doctor came into the room and said we need to get your son transported to another hospital immediately...we believe something is wrong with his heart. My husband and I immediately burst out into tears, we didn't want to believe it. The nurses helped me out of bed and into a wheelchair so I can see my son before he left in the ambulance with the transport team. I was overcome with emotion when I saw him, he was intubated and struggling to survive and was in critical condition. The nurses were trying to get IV's in him and stabilize him as best they could for the ambulance ride to the hospital.

 

Before I made it in the room, I was told they had to do chest compressions on him and I just lost it. I wanted to take all his pain and struggles away but I couldn't. All I could do was touch his hand and tell him "Hi Jack, it's mommy and you are going to be just fine, I love you so much." They took him away in an ambulance with a group of nurses and doctors and we rushed up to the hospital.

 

I was moved into a recovery room in the new hospital and was greeted by 2 pediatric cardiologists soon after arriving. Jack had an echocardiogram right when he arrived and they diagnosed his condition. We were told by the doctors that he had Transposition of the Great Arteries. He needed an emergency procedure to stabilize him and would need open heart surgery soon after. He had a balloon arterial septostomy that night. Over the next week and a half, my husband and I watched Jack have a series of ups and downs, the bells and alarms in the NICU still haunt us. We just prayed that our son would make it and be strong enough for surgery day. The night before his surgery was scheduled, Jack's condition worsened and he needed to be emergency intubated again to stabilize him and take the stress off his heart and body before surgery.

 

Ten days after Jack was born, they performed the arterial switch operation. His recovery is something for the record books, his doctors were so proud of him. Jack came home just 8 days after open heart surgery. He is doing great and we are so grateful for the cardiology team, his heart surgeon and all the nurses in the NICU and PICU at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Because of their amazing care and knowledge, we are able to see our son meet all his milestones and give him all of our love.

 

Story by Jack’s mom, Lauren - Connecticut