Words by Kaitlin & Caleb Zalunardo:

In a whirlwind of unexpected events, our sweet baby Kayden made his early arrival on May 3rd at 4:50 PM via emergency C-section. He weighed 5lbs 8.5oz and was 16.93 inches long. Up until just days before delivery, everything appeared completely normal. At my OB appointment this past Wednesday before delivery, all lab work, vital signs, and the Doppler scan continued to look great — we had no indication anything was wrong. My pregnancy had been smooth, and we were all anticipating a healthy delivery.

On Saturday May 3rd, we went in for a non-medical 3D/4D ultrasound just to see our baby’s face — something fun and exciting. But within one minute of scanning, the technician urged us to go straight to the hospital after spotting fluid around Kayden’s abdomen and a fast heartbeat.

We rushed to our local hospital where doctors identified a serious fetal arrhythmia. We were immediately transferred to Erlanger in Chattanooga, where a team of specialists including a maternal-fetal medicine doctor and pediatric cardiologist confirmed Kayden had been in a cardiac arrhythmia for some time (registering about 270 beats per minute on ultrasound) — a condition causing fluid buildup (hydrops) and heart strain.

Due to the severity of the situation, the team made the urgent decision to deliver. Kayden was born at 33 weeks 2 days old. Remarkably, once delivered, his heart converted to a normal rhythm on its own. He was quickly intubated and taken to the NICU, where he remains under constant monitoring and care.

Kayden’s diagnosis includes fetal arrhythmia, hydrops, respiratory distress, and prematurity.