Aiden's 1st Birthday

Aiden with his brothers Ryan and Zachary

Age 6 months in hospital after surgery

Aiden 1 yr old, learning to walk

Aiden Trent was born in Alaska on 11/5/08 weighing 7 lbs 15 oz. After 2 days in the hospital we were getting ready to go home when our lives changed forever.  The "innocent" murmur the pediatrician heard was a little louder and she wanted to do some further testing.  They performed a pulse-ox test and were concerned with his oxygen levels. They did a tele-echocardiogram with a pediatric cardiologist in Washington which led to us being life-flighted to Anchorage for a stay in the NICU.  All they could tell from the echo was that Aiden had a large VSD and overriding aorta, but could not determine how he was getting blood to his lungs.  Obviously he was breathing so he was getting oxygen but they couldn't figure out how as they couldn't find his pulmonary arteries.  A cath at Children's Hospital at Providence determined that Aiden did not have true pulmonary arteries, but instead had multiple collateral arteries branching from his aorta going to his lungs (MAPCAs).

We were in the NICU for a week.  Aiden continued to grow well and maintained his O2 sats between 75 and 85 on room air.  We were finally going home to be a family.  After being home for only a week the Army decided we needed to move to be closer to the medical care that Aiden needed.  We were moved to Wasnington at the drop of a hat and began our rollercoaster ride.  Aiden slowly began to go into congestive heart failure.  He struggled to eat, falling asleep often, and his weight gain began to slow down despite fortifying his feeds to 30 cals/oz. 

In April 2009 we flew to California, to Lucile Packard Children's at Stanford, where Dr. Hanley would work his magic. At the time of his surgery when he was 6 months old, Aiden only weighed 11 lbs.  The hardest thing I've ever had to do was hand my baby boy to the nurses knowing they were going to cut his little chest open.  I do believe that was the longest day of my life. I can't even begin to describe the relief we felt when Dr Hanley came out and told us that our little Aiden was recovering well and that his heart was functioning as any "normal" heart.  They combined all the collateral into 2 major pulmonary arteries and connected them to his heart via a conduit w/valve. After determining that the pressures in his arteries were normal and there were no leaks, they closed his VSD and ASD for a complete repair. The only surgeries in his future will be to replace the conduit as he grows.

Aiden spent almost a month in the hospital after his surgery. Each day a little better than the next.  Even through the worst times, he was smiling.  He is now 15 months old, weighs 20 lbs, is learning to walk and exploring everything. Constantly on the go. He's still smiling!

Aiden truly is our special child and an inspiration to our family.  We all believe he is destined to do great things in his life.  And I thank the powers that be everyday that we all have the chance to see what those things will be.