Please help us support Thomas Mallard and his family

Thank-you all for viewing this fundraiser. My name is Suzanne Hunt and Thomas is my nephew. He is a brave little heart warrior and his family needs our support as they need to travel to Toronto for his fourth palliative surgery.

On May 16, 2020, Thomas Michael Mallard was welcomed into the world at Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto, ON. Within half an hour he was taken from his mother, Kelly, and whisked away to the Cardiac Critical Care unit at SickKids hospital to begin the next stage of his journey. The Mallard family started this difficult journey at home in St. John’s, NL, months prior. During a prenatal check-up an issue with Thomas’s heart was detected, as the left side of his heart hadn’t developed correctly. This is known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and is considered a critical congenital heart defect. The family needed to travel to Toronto for his delivery and life saving open heart surgery.

Thomas had his first open heart procedure on May 19th, 2020. This surgery is known as the Norwood Procedure and is used to reroute blood flow. In HLHS, the left ventricle and aorta are too small to pump blood to the body. This procedure essentially joins the aorta and the pulmonary artery, which causes the right ventricle to pump blood to the body instead of the lungs. Shunts are created to redirect blood flow to the lungs. A nasogastric (NG) tube was inserted at this time as well. Thomas struggled with episodes of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), tricuspid valve closure issues and was placed on NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis) watch three times in the months that followed.

As a result of worsening tricuspid valve issues, Thomas underwent emergency surgery on July 14, 2020. A tricuspid valve repair. After this surgery he struggled with his breathing and oxygen level, made worse by sedation. He was extubated, weaned off sedation and moved from CCCU to the cardio ward August 3, 2020. However, he was moved back to critical care after requiring a stent due to fluid buildup around his lungs and low oxygen levels. That month Thomas was weaned off pain relief and began tolerating oral medications and small amounts of formula. His feedings were still being topped up by the NG tube. Thomas was discharged from SickKids August 27th, 2020, while waiting for his third surgery.

In November of 2020, Thomas was readmitted to SickKids and underwent a second staged palliative surgery knows as the Glenn procedure. During this surgery the Superior Vena Cava (SVC), the vein that brings blood from the upper body to the heart, is connected to the pulmonary artery. Rerouting blood flow directly into the lungs, allowing the right ventricle to pump blood directly to the body without working as hard. Thomas coded during this surgery and was placed on bypass. Luckily, Thomas is a tough little guy and pulled through. He was breathing on his own three days later and was moved to the ward. After continuing to improve, he was discharged on November 15th and allowed to go home November 24th, 2020. Just in time to get ready for this little miracles first Christmas.

The Mallard family spent a total of 221 days in Toronto. Kelly, her husband, Tom, and their oldest son, Brayson, all relocated to Toronto during this time. Their move came at the height of the pandemic and finding a temporary home was next to impossible. It was months before they were able to move into the Ronald McDonald house due to pandemic related protocols. The cost and availability of housing hasn’t gotten any better, and the cost of living is higher than ever.

Although he seems like a happy and health little boy with his big smile and sweet little giggle, Thomas is still considered palliative and his journey is far from over. Sometimes you can spot his condition in his blue lips or fingers and be reminded of his struggle.

In October, Thomas will undergo his fourth surgery. Known as the Fontane procedure, this surgery reroutes blood from the lower body to the lungs. Allowing the right ventricle to only pump highly oxygenated blood to the body. If needed, a pacemaker will be inserted. Down the road, Thomas will require a transplant.

The family (along with newest addition, Max) will once again need to travel to Toronto. The province and insurance will only provide so much support. The out-of-pocket expenses related to the previous surgery were well over $25,000. It is difficult to tell how long the family will be in Toronto or what the associated costs will be. Right now, flights have been booked and temporary accommodations have been found. However, the family will need to find additional accommodations as The Ronald McDonald house will not consider taking the family in until Thomas has been admitted, IF they have the availability. The first appointment in preparation for surgery is October 3rd and the second is October 9th, 2024. This second appointment is with the cath lab; they will check his stents, valves and arteries for any pressure issues. They will also print a 3D model of his heart which the team will use to determine the best surgical route to take. Once Thomas is declared stable enough for the surgery, he will be given a surgery date.

Please help us support Thomas and The Mallard Family as they navigate this difficult time. Even if you can support them with thoughts and prayers, it is all greatly appreciated.