Ethan

Ethan was diagnosed at 18 weeks gestation and was delivered via c-section in Houston at 38 weeks 2 days. A true miracle, he only spent 7 days in the NICU before being transferred to the cardiology floor for observation. He was not placed on oxygen, nor did he require any heart medication. His cardiologist refers to him as miracle man. We are hoping that his open heart surgery will wait until April 2009 but are as prepared as you can get for it to have to happen sooner.

Ethan has incomplete Transposition of the Great Arteries with Double Outlet Right Ventricle. He has dextrocardia so his heart is on the right hand side of his chest instead of the left. His pulmonary artery has just the right amount of blockage so he has not needed a pulmonary banding surgery to limit blood to his lungs. He has an Atrioventricular Septal Defect which allows his blood to mix just enough to keep his oxygen saturation levels at 80%. He also has a conflusion of the pulmonary veins which means that his four veins going from his lungs to his heart come together just outside of his heart to form one vein. Because he has all of these defects they are working together to keep him alive without heart medication. He does take amoxicillin twice a day because he was born without a spleen due to his heterotaxy syndrome.

Ethan lives (at home!!! ;-0) with his mom and dad, Richard and Amanda, big sister Elise, and big brothers Craig and Nolan. We feel very blessed to have even been able to bring him home from the hospital and welcome any personal prayers and/or placements on prayer lists. It is through prayer that our little boy is alive.