Quincy R.

Quincy’s two-year-old check-up was life-changing. During his visit, his pediatrician detected a heart murmur. He was referred to CHRISTUS Children’s, where specialists discovered he had a few different heart defects, some extra parts, some missing parts, and he was going to need open heart surgery. Quincy went into a seven-hour surgery one week later and had several repairs done on his heart. Surgeons also found he had two superior vena cava veins (most people have one). He also had four extra veins connecting to his lungs, and one piece missing from the back wall of his heart. This meant his blood was not circulating correctly, causing “bad blood” to enter his lungs. Quincy recovered in the PICU after surgery and went home just a few days later. His journey continues today, and doctors are keeping a close eye on his heartbeat and tightening of the superior vena cava at the entry of his right atrium. He will need future surgeries, but he continues through each day with his resilient, courageous spirit.

Maddie K.

In December 2016, Maddie went in for a routine pediatric check-up where her pediatrician noted she was underweight. At four months old, Maddie weighed only nine pounds, when her expected weight should be 13-15 pounds. The family scheduled an appointment at CHRISTUS Children’s, were cardiologists diagnosed Maddie with a large ventricular septal defect (VSD), a small aortic valve, and a small hypoplastic aortic arch, all serious congenital heart defects. Maddie’s VSD and small hypoplastic aortic arch required immediate surgical repair. Physicians performed the life-saving surgery with no complications. Today, she is happy, healthy, and thriving – and busy, too! Maddie started kindergarten, plays T-ball, and takes dance classes.