Quentin

My son was born Friday, December 9th, 2005 at 11:01 am by c-section. He was 6 lbs 9oz and 18 inches long—not too big. I had a very easy pregnancy and I didn't feel Quentin kick me at all. I was always telling the doctor this but he said everything was ok. My pelvis was too small so he recommended a c-section and it was a good thing I went ahead and did it because it otherwise would have been too much for him.

No one had any clue anything was wrong Quentin until an hour had passed. The nurse said he was looking a little blue so they took him to NICU and ran some tests. I was still in the recovery room while all of this was going on waiting for a bed to come available to move. The doctor came in the room three hours late and told me he things—Quentin has TGA and he will be air lifted to All Children's in St. Petersburg, Florida that night. About six hours later I got my own room and my dad wheeled me to see my son. Around 8:30 pm that night they packed him up to take him down south and they brought him to my room before he left.

I could not leave the hospital until Dec. 11th (Sunday) and that's when my mom drove me 7 hours to see my son. When I got there, I was a little relieved just knowing I could be right by him, still not knowing too much about what's wrong. Tuesday, he had his heart cath and we met with the doctor. I don't think words will ever be able to describe how I felt that day in that room with my mom and the doctor. He told me Quentin had complex single ventricle with L-TGA, AVV atresia, pulmonary atresia, hypoplastic right ventricle. Well me being young I don't think I really know what all these meant at the time but I have a pretty good idea now. He told me Quentin would need three heart surgeries and the first one would be when he was 7 days old. This was the hardest thing to take in and deal with. Quentin was my first child; I have always wanted one and I was blessed with my miracle Christmas baby.

Quentin had his surgery, they placed the shunt and everything went smoothly. We stayed in the hospital until December 28th. I took him home and made trips 2 hours each way to the closest doctor in Pensacola every week, and then once a month until Quentin was five months old.

Then they told me he would need the second surgery because he was getting bigger and turning blue. So May 13th 2006 he had the bi-directional Glenn. Everything went well with that and we got to go home in 11 days.

I am so blessed to have my son and my mom. My mom was their with me both trips and we stayed at the Ronald McDonald House and are very grateful for that. I don't know what I would have done without that place. It's like a home away from home and all the people are so nice. I was blessed to be able to stay at home with my son for his first six months of life, thanks to my husband (boy friend at the time). But it was time for me to work so at six months I got a job and put him in a daycare that was only staffed with nurses. This was the best thing for him, as they watch him and check his vitals a few times every day.

Quentin has done extremely well and is very smart and loves to play. People don't even think anything is wrong with him. I had my little girl Mikayla Joyce Bouie on December 27th,2007 and she was healthy. Quentin loves his little sister and is a great big brother. He loves to feed her and make her play with his trucks. That little boy is so sweet and loving.

We are getting ready for this third surgery August 13th, 2008—the Fontan. It will be a little harder this time around, now that he is a big boy and knows what's going on. I don't look forward to this day but pray it's the last surgery for awhile.

I am so grateful to have found this web site and read some on the stories. Please say a prayer for us and know that everyone is in mine. Thanks to Doctor James Quintessenza, MD. we have our son today we are so grateful. Love, Christina and family