Meet, Drew (pictured above)
Drew Thomas was born on March 4, 2007 and discharged home a few days later to join his big brother Derek and proud parents, Elly and Brad Steffen, in what was thought to be a healthy condition. Over the next several days, family members started recognizing that Drew’s breathing was becoming more rapid and labored and he was sleeping more then the average infant. After a trip to the pediatrician’s office and Emergency Room, a night in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and several exams, Drew had an echocardiogram on March 13th that revealed his severe congenital heart disease. Without delay, the Pediatric Cardiology Department at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) was consulted and Drew was being prepared for air transport to UIHC.
After more tests at UIHC, Drew was diagnosed with Double Inlet Left Ventricle, Transposition of the Great Arteries, Coarchation of the Aorta, and several other related heart defects. Basically he was born with a three chambered heart and a severely narrow aortic arch, resulting in very little oxygenated blood being able to reach his body. A series of three open heart surgeries to reroute Drew’s blood flow between his body, lungs and heart was planned.
On March 15th, Drew went into the operating room (OR) for his first surgery, the Modified Norwood with BT Shunt. This procedure was a temporary measure to connect his aorta to his pulmonary artery, shunt blood to his lungs to pick up oxygen and rebuild his aortic arch with a patch. Drew was in the OR nearly ten hours, but recovered like a champ and remarkably was back home two and half weeks post surgery. Once home Drew remained under careful medical watch with frequent visits from home health and to see his pediatric cardiologist and/or pediatrician. The next several months proved to be challenging for little Drew and his family as Drew struggled with low oxygen levels, feeding difficulties and weight gain that were further complicated by the development of a milk protein allergy. A feeding tube was the only way that Drew could keep his body nourished as he prepared for the next surgery.
On August 29, 2007 Drew was admitted again at UIHC for a balloon catherization procedure in an attempt to stretch his aorta. On August 31st, at just under six months of age, Drew went back to the OR for the Glen surgery. This surgery rerouted the blood flow from the top half of his body directly to the lungs to pick up oxygen before being sent to the heart and pumped out to the body. Drew had another quick recovery and was back home one week post surgery. A couple weeks later Drew was strong enough to challenge him on oral feedings, so his feeding tube was removed. With perseverance, and several very hard days and nights, Drew won this battle and relearned to drink from a bottle and started eating from a spoon.
Since the Glen, Drew has been doing very well and, thankfully, outgrew his milk protein allergy. By 18 months of age, Drew has surpassed the 20th percentile on the growth charts and is right on track developmentally. He is a happy, smiley little guy that is learning new words and skills everyday and trying hard to keep up with his big brother.
After the first of the year in 2009 Drew will have another echocardiogram, at which time the next steps and timelines in his treatment plan will be more clearly laid out. Most likely the narrowing in his aorta will need to be readdressed with another balloon catherization procedure and possibly through surgery. Then sometime by the age of three, Drew will have the third open heart surgery in the series, the Fontan. This surgery consists of inserting a tube to allow blood to flow from the lower part of the body directly into the lungs. After the Fontan all of Drew’s blood will passively flow from his body to the lungs, essentially bypassing the right side of his heart. The hope is that the Fontan will be Drew’s last surgery until he is an adult, but eventually Drew’s heart will tire and he may require a heart transplant if other medical advances are not proven by that time.
Drew’s future, as with all of us, is unknown, but we do know that Drew is a living miracle and that every day with him is a blessing.
Start! Making a Difference!Supporting the fight against heart disease and stroke is a rewarding experience and is really very simple. - Sign up with your company team or build your own team of family and friends.
- Follow the steps to create a personalized webpage showing your goal and your reasons for supporting the American Heart Association.
- Send e-mails to your contacts asking them to make a secure online donation toward your campaign. Donors can expand their gift if they work for a matching gift company.
- Attend the Start! Heart Walk and celebrate your achievement.
Since 1924 the American Heart Association has helped protect people of all ages and ethnicities from the ravages of heart disease and stroke. These diseases, the Nation's No.1 and No.3 killers, claim more than 910,000 American lives a year. The association invested more than $543 million in fiscal year 2005-06 for research, professional and public education, and advocacy so people across America can live stronger, longer lives. Thanks to all our walkers, donors and volunteers who have accepted the challenge to help fight heart disease and stroke. We cannot achieve our mission without each one of you!
For more information please contact one of your
Start! Heart Walk staff partners, Kristen Anderson, at (319) 352-4825
or via email at kristen.anderson@heart.org
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