Aiden
Aiden arrived seven weeks premature and, within 24 hours, it was clear his needs were more complex than anticipated. He was born with Down syndrome and required immediate cardiac care. Aiden was was transported to Rady Children’s for open heart surgery and remained at the Hospital for almost three months, during which time he faced complications beyond his heart including an umbilical hernia, hypothyroidism and a cyst between his prostate and bladder. Aiden was able to go home for a week, but returned to Rady Children’s via emergency air evacuation for a second open-heart surgery and a difficult recovery which required feeding tubes.
Today, Aiden enjoys school, playing instruments and staying active with all kinds of sports, from basketball to horseback riding and, of course, golf with dad.
Gideon
Just days after his fifth birthday, Gideon woke up with extreme chest pain and a fever that lingered for more than a week. His parents brought him to Rady Children’s, where he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia – cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Gideon began multiple rounds of chemotherapy which usually send cancer into remission within 30 days; for Gideon it took four months, making him high-risk for relapse. After three and a half years of continued care, Gideon finally completed his cancer treatment, but began to show signs that the cancer had returned six months later. He and his parents again sought care at Rady Children’s, where their fear of relapse was confirmed.
Gideon’s relapse made him eligible for an innovative treatment called CAR T-cell immunotherapy – a state-of-the-art therapy provided by the generosity of donors. Because of this lifesaving treatment, today Gideon shows no signs of cancer but undergoes testing every three months to ensure the CAR T-cells continue to do their job.
Evie
At her mother’s 20-week check-up, Evie was diagnosed with Spina Bifida – a birth defect in which a developing the spinal cord fails to develop properly. Her parents decided to proceed with a fetal surgery that would close her spine while she was still in utero to decrease risk of further nerve damage. Evie was born at 31 weeks with a life-threatening infection and the doctors were not sure she would survive, but after nine weeks in the NICU, she was able to go home with her parents to meet her two sisters.
Over the past two and half years, Evie has been to numerous appointments within multiple specialties and completed a variety of physical and occupational therapy sessions. Through it all she has always been the happiest child, and today she is learning to walk with bracing assistance and has shown no signs of cognitive impairment.
Bradford
Bradford was a strong newborn with a perfect (and unusual) Apgar score of 10. Within a week, however, a red rash developed around his umbilical cord across his abdomen, hardening and drying out the skin. Bradford was transported immediately to Rady Children’s, and while en route the CHET team witnessed extremely aggressive spreading and administered antibiotics. Within an hour of arriving at Rady Children’s, Bradford was prepared for surgery to remove the infected flesh. Unfortunately, further infection was detected and within 24 hours he was back in surgery.
Bradford underwent a total of nine surgeries within the first two months of his life, but today he is thriving thanks to the fast response of the CHET and surgical teams as well as all the dedicated neonatologists, nurse practitioners and nurses who cared for Bradford.
Izzy
When Izzy was born, she appeared to be perfectly healthy, but the following day a nurse noticed her lips looked ashy-grey. Izzy’s oxygen saturation level had fallen to just 60 percent and she was moved to the NICU. When her condition worsened she was rushed to Rady Children’s where she was diagnosed with Transposition of the Greater Arteries (TGA). In this rare but serious heart defect, the two main arteries leaving the heart are reversed and blood cannot circulate properly, leaving the body’s organs severely lacking oxygen. Izzy immediately underwent cardiac catheterization to help improve the mixing of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood. At only 6 days old, she underwent open-heart surgery to complete an atrial switch, aligning her aorta and pulmonary ventricle with the correct chambers of the heart.
Izzy made an incredible recovery and was released from the Hospital in time to be home for her first Christmas. Today she is a happy and healthy 5-year-old with a heart for giving back to the hospital that cared for her.