Life-Saving Heart Surgery for Ensley Garrett
Hi I'm Jessica Jones, a friend of Brett and Tarynia Garrett's Family.
This beautiful family was in the middle of moving and dealing with the pandemic, when their sweet daughter Ensley started having tachycardia episodes, which means her poor heart was racing at over 200 beats per minute. The episodes initially happened infrequently, every other month. In December 2020, Ensley began having heart palpitations that increased in number and severity. The Garrett's were referred to a Cardiology specialist for Ensley.
The Cardiologist was pretty sure he knew what was wrong, but he needed to see her heart rhythm during a tachycardia episode to confirm the diagnosis. Ensley had another episode and her parents were able to use a portable EKG, to record her heart rhythm. This was sent to a specialist. Findings from the EKG suggested that Ensley had SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia). During this time the Doctors did not seem overly concerned about this diagnosis. Ensley was taken in for an Echocardiagram, and after the Echo everything changed.
The Dr came in and told Brett and Tarynia they had found a tumor in Ensley's heart!! It was a rare tumor. Something he had only heard of, but never actually seen. The Cardiologist consulted with Cardiac specialists from U of U and Primary Children's Hospital.
On March 3rd, it was determined that Ensley has a Cardiac/Ventricular Fibroma Tumor Also, we found out yesterday that the tumor is in the wall of her left ventrical. The tumor is causing her heart to randomly go into Ventricular Tachycardia. It has also distorted her left anterior descending artery causing a slight kink. Luckily it is not obstructing blood flow yet!!
Ensley will need to have open heart surgery to debulk/remove the tumor.
It is highly recommended that Ensley have her procedure done at Boston Children's Hospital, in Boston Massachusetts.
The Boston Children’s Hospital has a Heart tumor Program. It has one of the most accomplished teams of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in the field, and in managing cardiac tumors in children.
The Garretts's have been referred to a surgeon at Boston Children's that has recently(in the last 6 months), performed a Cardiac Fibroma surgery.
Ensley is a beautiful and fun loving 11 year old girl!! She loves fishing, playing with her little brother and her friends, building with Legos, playing games with her family and putting puzzles together. She is funny and smart and kind.
The Garrett's are hardworking and kind. Brett works 2 jobs to provide for his family. They give to their community and are always willing to lend a helping hand. This is not a cost they could possibly afford as they just spent all of their savings on a house for their family!!
Please help this family get to Boston, so they can have the only surgeons in the US, who specialize in this life saving surgery for Ensley.