On Thursday, June 5, 1997 the nursery staff became concerned due to a heart murmur and so they took x-rays of Billy�s chest. Everything appeared to be doing fine. It was not until that Saturday, June 7, that there was more cause for alarm. Billy and I were both scheduled for release from the hospital that day, but they found a scratch on Bill�s ear and wanted to keep him for observation in case of infection. That afternoon he began to have respiratory problems. In the early evening that Saturday I would find out that my infant son was having some very serious medical problems, and that it was just the beginning.
As luck would have it, a pediatric cardiologist came into the nursery late that afternoon to retrieve his watch and they were able to have him take a look at my son. This doctor was a very good doctor. He took me aside later that evening to explain to me what was going on and how we would proceed from there.
The following morning he had an echocardiogram and they were able to get a final confirmation of his condition. Interrupted Aortic Arch, Atrial Septal Defect and a Ventricular Septal Defect. Plainly put, he had two different holes in his heart and the aorta was not completely formed. Where it not for his PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) not closing when it was supposed to he would have had no blood flowing to left side and lower half of his body. We were told that there was really only one choice, and that was to operate. With the operation there was a 50/50 chance of survival, as in infant his chances were pretty good. If we took him home he had no chance of survival period. We did what any parent would, and signed the consent forms for our son to have open-heart surgery.
On his fifth day of life out of the womb, he had that surgery. The doctors tried to prepare us for as much as they could. They told us our little boy would be bloated for a few days, have a gray coloring and that they would not be able to close his chest right away due to swelling. After his surgery we went in to see him, we found out that there had been no swelling and they were able to close up his chest with no problems. The only bloat or puffiness he had was around his eyes. He never lost his healthy pink coloring. In fact, if it weren�t for the tubes in his chest and such there would have been no sign that he was even sick. He was classified as a better than text book case. All of his doctors were pleased and even impressed with his rate of healing.
At exactly two weeks of age he was released from the hospital and brought home. He was a very happy and healthy little boy, so much that you would have never known he was ever sick. His development was very good in all ways.
I believe in my heart that God was watching over little Billy. I saw and felt HIS presence in so many ways through so many things and I am grateful for the blessing God gave me in the miracle that is Billy.