Natalea-Jo, born 2004

While pregnant with Natalea-Jo, I had no idea about her heart defect. When she was born, she was beautiful pink, but when the nurse went to bathe her, she turned blue. They put her under the heat lamp, but sadly it did not work. She was six hours old and was transported to Ochsner's Medical For Children in New Orleans, Louisiana while I was stuck at the hospital in Gulfport, MS. 

 

She had her first heart cath at fifteen hours old where they added a hole for the two defects to work until she was big enough to undergo surgery to correct her heart defect. She was in the hospital for 28 days total. 

 

At five months old, she woke with a rapid respiratory, and oxygen level was 95, which in her case was high for her diagnosis, meaning she was fixing to go into congestive heart failure. This surgery was a success until 2009, when she was due for a conduit replacement. The 2009 OHS was successful until 2016 where they were finally able to place an adult conduit. We love Ochsner's and all the doctors and nurses involved in Natalea-Jo's case.

 

Story by Lanette, mom to Natalea-Jo - Mississippi