Big Hopes for a Tiny Heart

My name is Chaz Berquist, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my brother, Dustin Beckius, and my sister-in-law, Erica Beckius. On Monday, March 17, at 9:29am, they welcomed their second son to the world, Jones (Jonesy) Eric Beckius.

On February 14, at a routine ultrasound for Erica, it was discovered that Jonesy had a 2cm tumor in the left ventricle of his little heart. Erica was then referred to Children’s Hospital for more immediate access to specialized care for their new baby boy. Erica’s scheduled cesarean section went without issue. Because the medical team suspected tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC-- a rare genetic disorder that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow in various organs of the body, including the brain, kidneys, heart, lungs, and skin), blood was taken from the placenta for testing; the results for this particular blood test taking anywhere from 14-21 days.

Due to the seriousness of the situation, and largely, the unknowns—Jonesy spent his first few days in the NICU for continued monitoring. The medical team wanted to ensure the baby wasn’t experiencing arrhythmia and was continuing to prosper. On Thursday, March 20, Jonesy had a contrast MRI so the medical team could get a better look at the growth in his heart. His MRI scans were shared with cardiologists across the country.

On March 21—the medical team let Dusty and Erica know that they do not believe it to be TSC, but instead, a fibroma (a benign tumor or growth composed of fibrous, connective tissue). Because the medical team is concerned that Jonesy’s heart has to work extra hard to maneuver around this tumor, Jonesy will continue his stay at Children’s Hospital for another week for ongoing monitoring for growth. The doctors want to see that Jones is gaining weight and remaining healthy.

Right now, the medical team is hoping the fibroma remains the same size while Jonesy continues to gain weight and grow. When he’s gained enough weight and grown a little more, they plan to surgically remove the tumor. Depending on how the fibroma is attached to his heart, he may need an additional procedure as he gets older. Suffice it to say, there remains a long path ahead.

We are fervently praying that this baby continues to grow and do well. Dusty and Erica have remained strong through this, and have taken advantage of every precious minute they’re able to spend with their new baby, who has to remain in the special care unit where he can be monitored.

As you might imagine, these procedures are a significant financial burden for Dusty and Erica, who just want to be home with their baby, and introduce him to his older brother, Vaughn (who just turned 3!). We are confident that day will come, but in the meantime, we are hoping friends, family and strangers might help lift some of their financial stressors by contributing to this GoFundMe.