Move Mountains for Mackenzie

Mackenzie Lenah Silsley came into this world on August 27th, 2018 at 0912 am. Mackenzie was born with a heart defect known as “Hypo plastic Transverse Aortic Arch” (Coarctation) and VSD or Ventricular Septal Defect, a hole in the wall that separates the right and left pumping chambers. At just three days old she successfully endured open heart surgery on August 30th, 2018.

She has been a fighter since the beginning, staying breach in mommy’s tummy from 21 weeks on to her delivery via C-Section at 37 weeks. Roughly one week after her surgery while in recovery, Mackenzie developed episodes of SVT or Supraventricular Tachycardia (heart rates in the 280’s). This anomaly is rare but can happen post op open heart surgery. She is currently on medication that she will have to take for the next 6-8 months to help diminish this issue.

Unfortunately, Mackenzie is still in the hospital and currently fighting a leg infection. The Dr.’s at this time are still unsure of the reason/source of the infection and what it is. She is on heavy duty I.V. antibiotics but there is not a determined date yet in which she will get discharged. Her road to recovery has just begun but she is amazingly determined and continues to fight.

While she is covered in leads, lines and tubes, this is all she has ever known and spends most of her days sleeping, eating and melting hearts. She has become the talk of the ward amongst the nurses!

 

“Mom’s Journey”:

Mariah (mom) had a fairly routine C-Section and everything seemed to be going as planned. Mom was discharged on Friday August 31st, one day after Mackenzie’s surgery. Unfortunately she had to be taken into the ER and re-admitted less than 24 hours later with high fevers of 103+ and a heart rate of over 140, resting. She was severely septic and was treated for Endometritis (infection of the uterus) and staphylococcal sepsis (bacterial infection of the blood). It took the Doctors several painful days and numerous invasive and noninvasive tests and a lot of guessing to come to a relative diagnosis, although they were never fully able to figure out why she became so sick so fast.

Mom spent 5 days in the MICU (medical ICU) and 2 days back in postpartum before being discharged on September 7th. She was only able to see Mackenzie in the last 3 days of her second admission to the hospital and from birth onward mom has been vigilantly pumping every 4 hours even at the height of her pain. By the end of her stay she was only 4 days into the correct course of antibiotics, as a result she was discharged with a PICC line and has had to continue antibiotics via an IV (PICC) with the help of dad. She is currently back on antibiotics due to a reoccurrence of infection.

The Silsley family has had to endure much more than they originally anticipated and their stay continues in the hospital. They are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House near the hospital but spend most of their hours inside the hospital at the side of baby Mackenzie. With growing bills, unforeseen medical expenses and a hospital stay of over 1 month, any contribution to their financial recovery is greatly appreciated.