Meet Amelia and Mayah!
Amelia, the sweet baby on the left, has just celebrated her first birthday. She was referred to us with the diagnosis of a vascular ring caused by a right aortic arch, an aberrant left subclavian artery, and ligamentum arteriosus.
A vascular ring is a rare condition that accounts for less than 1% of all congenital heart defects. A vascular ring develops when a child's aorta (the body's largest blood vessel) or its branches form abnormally, wrapping and constricting the trachea and, in most cases, the esophagus. This compression may cause difficulties with breathing and swallowing.
Even though little Amelia showed no symptoms, a barium swallow examination revealed significant esophageal compression at the level of the ligamentum arteriosus, indicating the need for surgical intervention. The recommended treatment for Amelia was a left lateral minithoracotomy with resection of the vascular ring and division of the ligamentum arteriosus.
Throughout her hospitalization, Amelia made wonderful friends with all of the medical personnel who cared for her, especially with our beloved teddy bear Kardoulis, who never left her side. Her adorable smile won over our hearts without a doubt. Amelia made an excellent recovery and was able to return home just three days after surgery.
Mayah, the adorable baby on the right side, is only 6 months old. She was referred to us with a Tetralogy of Fallot diagnosis, severe RVOTO, and a small fenestrated ASD II.
Tetralogy of Fallot is a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth (congenital). These heart structure defects cause blood that lacks oxygen to flow out of the heart and into the rest of the body. Because the blood does not carry enough oxygen, infants and children with tetralogy of Fallot typically have blue-tinged skin.
Little Mayah required a complex surgery consisting of Tetralogy of Fallot repair, VSD closure, RVOT and pulmonary enlargement, ASD closure, and tricuspid valve repair.
Mayah recovered extremely well, considering her young age and having undergone major heart surgery, and her hospitalization lasted 10 days. She impressed us all with her courage and won over the hearts of the medical staff who cared for her during her hospital stay.
Amelia and Mayia, we are so proud of you for fighting this battle with such bravery. You two really do have superpowers.
Dear Parents, thank you for being so compassionate and understanding.