Our heart warrior's story began before he was born. At Oliver's gender reveal appointment, the energy in the room changed for us and we were told that we would need to go to a specialist for additional ultrasounds. The specialist confirmed that he had Transposition of the Greater Vessels. We were devastated. This was not something that we had ever heard of and we did not have a family history with heart defects. After weeks of research and looking for our second opinion, we met a pediatric cardiologist that we immediately connected with and trusted she and her team could save our son. I abandoned all familiarity and threw out my birth plan. I did exactly as she recommended and met with a whole new care team including OBGYN so that I could deliver in a hospital that could then safely take our son to his care team. I was fearful of delivering else where and he have to be transported. Oliver's team was not only nearby the day he was delivered via c-section, they were in the room. The OR was quite full on March 30, 2021. However, it was beautifully orchestrated. Everyone knew what they were there to do and his delivery was seamless. When they got him cleaned up, I remember vaguely seeing his squishy face and I got to squeeze his puffy baby hands. My husband then followed Oliver and his team as they got Ollie situated in his new room and hooked up safely.
When Oliver was 6 days old, he underwent corrective heart surgery. The recovery process was a series of ups and downs. He hit all the milestones he needed to fiercely and quickly, then back pedaled on occasion, especially when it came to removing his cannula and feeding tube. However, after 27 days, we were finally sent home, terrified and relieved at the same time. He continues to see a cardiologist annually to monitor his heart. Thankfully, he's been healthy and none the wiser of this horrific time in his little life. Today, he's almost 4 years old and loves all things Spider-Man and Transformers. He's very athletic and loves to jump and climb things. He's truly a miracle in our eyes every day.
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