Baby Carters Journey to Health
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Carter’s Journey to Health!
As many of you know, my daughter Savannah and her fiancé Eric had their first child in September, in Grande Prairie Alberta! They welcomed a precious baby boy into the loving arms of many friends and family Carter Nate Davidson was born on September 9, 2017. He was diagnosed with AVSD (Atrioventricular Septal Defect) which means that he has 3 holes in his heart located between the chambers of the left and right side. He spent 6 days in the NICU after birth to monitor his overall health. During this time Carter failed his newborn screening for hearing and was advised to test again in 2 weeks, upon which he failed for the second time. While they waited for a referral to an audiologist, they focused on the health of his heart. They knew that the holes would need to be repaired once he is strong enough to have open heart surgery between 4-6 months of age. Due to the strain on his precious little heart, he began to struggle to grow and meet the healthy criteria of a baby. Carter is currently in the 1-3% rage on the growth chart for a new born, which creates a new challenge he needs to face. He was then diagnosed with FTT (Failure To Thrive) as he was unable to gain and sustain weight. Carter currently has a NG feeding tube which allows him to be able to receive milk without having to exert energy from his heart. This allows him to slowly gain weight in hopes to reach his goals for surgery. Throughout this time, Carter began to experience symptoms that indicated that his health needed to be closely monitored. He was admitted to the Edmonton Stollery Children's Hospital and diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. He was placed on medications to manage his symptoms so they could focus on his weight gain and hearing. Carter then had his ABR hearing test (Auditory Brainstem Response) completed to determine if he is hearing impaired. The testing concluded that he is moderate to severely deaf in both ears and will require hearing aids to hear. This is just one more challenge he will face in his early years. His struggles are on-going and will continue to be managed throughout his lifetime. For a 2 month old baby, he has faced more challenges than most people will see in a lifetime.His parents are doing the best they can while providing all of the care he needs during this difficult time.
Carter’s health concerns entail numerous trips from Grande Prairie, AB to Edmonton, AB to see specialists which is approximately 460km away. These visits are on a frequent bases and creates a financial strain, missed time from work, and added stress on the entire family. His hospital visits, upcoming surgery and hearing aids will create significant challenges. The cost of Carter’s hearing aids are anywhere from $2500-$5000 each and will need to be replaced and adjusted as he grows.
Please help us relieve some stress and financial burden for this amazing family during this difficult time. Any donations will be greatly appreciated and will help greatly in Carter’s journey to Health!
Thanks in advance!
Ps, We will continue to update everyone throughout his journey.
As many of you know, my daughter Savannah and her fiancé Eric had their first child in September, in Grande Prairie Alberta! They welcomed a precious baby boy into the loving arms of many friends and family Carter Nate Davidson was born on September 9, 2017. He was diagnosed with AVSD (Atrioventricular Septal Defect) which means that he has 3 holes in his heart located between the chambers of the left and right side. He spent 6 days in the NICU after birth to monitor his overall health. During this time Carter failed his newborn screening for hearing and was advised to test again in 2 weeks, upon which he failed for the second time. While they waited for a referral to an audiologist, they focused on the health of his heart. They knew that the holes would need to be repaired once he is strong enough to have open heart surgery between 4-6 months of age. Due to the strain on his precious little heart, he began to struggle to grow and meet the healthy criteria of a baby. Carter is currently in the 1-3% rage on the growth chart for a new born, which creates a new challenge he needs to face. He was then diagnosed with FTT (Failure To Thrive) as he was unable to gain and sustain weight. Carter currently has a NG feeding tube which allows him to be able to receive milk without having to exert energy from his heart. This allows him to slowly gain weight in hopes to reach his goals for surgery. Throughout this time, Carter began to experience symptoms that indicated that his health needed to be closely monitored. He was admitted to the Edmonton Stollery Children's Hospital and diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. He was placed on medications to manage his symptoms so they could focus on his weight gain and hearing. Carter then had his ABR hearing test (Auditory Brainstem Response) completed to determine if he is hearing impaired. The testing concluded that he is moderate to severely deaf in both ears and will require hearing aids to hear. This is just one more challenge he will face in his early years. His struggles are on-going and will continue to be managed throughout his lifetime. For a 2 month old baby, he has faced more challenges than most people will see in a lifetime.His parents are doing the best they can while providing all of the care he needs during this difficult time.
Carter’s health concerns entail numerous trips from Grande Prairie, AB to Edmonton, AB to see specialists which is approximately 460km away. These visits are on a frequent bases and creates a financial strain, missed time from work, and added stress on the entire family. His hospital visits, upcoming surgery and hearing aids will create significant challenges. The cost of Carter’s hearing aids are anywhere from $2500-$5000 each and will need to be replaced and adjusted as he grows.
Please help us relieve some stress and financial burden for this amazing family during this difficult time. Any donations will be greatly appreciated and will help greatly in Carter’s journey to Health!
Thanks in advance!
Ps, We will continue to update everyone throughout his journey.
Organizer
Danielle Hynes
Organizer
Bridgewater, NS
