Sterling Fox
Donation protected
It all started Thursday, May 11 2017.
I went in for my 20 week scan. All I had on my mind was how happy I was. Graduation was 2 days away. I was getting a new job and a new house. We were having the sweet baby boy we had prayed for.
At first everything seemed normal. The tech took his measurements, he was kicking and punching and hiding his little face. I was all smiles. Suddenly the tech got really quiet. The doctor came in. He went right to the screen and started focusing in on Sterlings heart. My world stopped. "Is something wrong? Whats going on? Is his heart ok?" No one would tell me anything. They just kept saying "Something looks a little off. Just give us a minute." "We just need to get a few eyes in here to figure out whats going on." "We will explain soon." Those 10 minutes felt like hours. 3 specialists came in. I couldn't even make out what anyone was saying. I didn't understand what I had done wrong. Why was this happeneing? Is my baby going to be okay? Is it something I did or didnt do that caused this?
After weeks of waiting we got sent to a cardiolost and were told they thought our little Sterling had a congenital heart defect called Levo-Transposition of the great arteries (aka cc-TGA), but had to wait until he was born to confirm anything. The rest of my pregnancy was nerve wracking. We just had to wait and see what happened after he was born to make an official diagnosis and plan. Normally TGA babies have to have corrective surgery right after birth. But when he was born it was confirmed that he had a slightly leaky tricuspid valve and L-TGA; which basically means the lower section of his heart is reversed, but his body tried to correct itself so the vessles are also reversed. Because his heart tried to correct itself it was still able to function, just kinda backwards. This means the smaller chamber is working to pump to his body, rather than his lungs, than it is meant to which is causing valve leakage and causing the larger ventricle to become "lazy".
We found an amazing surgeon at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital in Palo Alto, California for Sterling to have a PA band placed by Dr. Frank Hanley, one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons in the nation, specializing in TGA. We are now preparing to go back for another surgery Oct. 25, 2018. This will either be a PA band tightening OR Dr. Hanley will attempt to fix his heart using the Double Switch procedure. This will mean a lot of time off work for mom and dad, travel costs, and medical expenses.
We dont know what the future holds exactly. What we do know is that we are still early in this journey and will do anything we need to do for our tough little man.
In many cultures the spirit animal fox is known for being "sly" and "sneaky", not necessarily as a trickster, but as someone who can swiftly find their way around obsticles. His room decor, his blankets, outfits, etc have been focused around the fox since day 1 and I dont think it was ever a coincidence. He is our baby fox and he will find his way around any obsticle thrown his way. We appreciate the support, love, prayers, and positive vibes as we prepare for another procedure. We LOVE and are so proud of our #SterlingFox: the strongest, bravest, sweetest little boy we know.
Follow Sterling Fox on Facebook for updates. ❤️
I went in for my 20 week scan. All I had on my mind was how happy I was. Graduation was 2 days away. I was getting a new job and a new house. We were having the sweet baby boy we had prayed for.
At first everything seemed normal. The tech took his measurements, he was kicking and punching and hiding his little face. I was all smiles. Suddenly the tech got really quiet. The doctor came in. He went right to the screen and started focusing in on Sterlings heart. My world stopped. "Is something wrong? Whats going on? Is his heart ok?" No one would tell me anything. They just kept saying "Something looks a little off. Just give us a minute." "We just need to get a few eyes in here to figure out whats going on." "We will explain soon." Those 10 minutes felt like hours. 3 specialists came in. I couldn't even make out what anyone was saying. I didn't understand what I had done wrong. Why was this happeneing? Is my baby going to be okay? Is it something I did or didnt do that caused this?
After weeks of waiting we got sent to a cardiolost and were told they thought our little Sterling had a congenital heart defect called Levo-Transposition of the great arteries (aka cc-TGA), but had to wait until he was born to confirm anything. The rest of my pregnancy was nerve wracking. We just had to wait and see what happened after he was born to make an official diagnosis and plan. Normally TGA babies have to have corrective surgery right after birth. But when he was born it was confirmed that he had a slightly leaky tricuspid valve and L-TGA; which basically means the lower section of his heart is reversed, but his body tried to correct itself so the vessles are also reversed. Because his heart tried to correct itself it was still able to function, just kinda backwards. This means the smaller chamber is working to pump to his body, rather than his lungs, than it is meant to which is causing valve leakage and causing the larger ventricle to become "lazy".
We found an amazing surgeon at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital in Palo Alto, California for Sterling to have a PA band placed by Dr. Frank Hanley, one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons in the nation, specializing in TGA. We are now preparing to go back for another surgery Oct. 25, 2018. This will either be a PA band tightening OR Dr. Hanley will attempt to fix his heart using the Double Switch procedure. This will mean a lot of time off work for mom and dad, travel costs, and medical expenses.
We dont know what the future holds exactly. What we do know is that we are still early in this journey and will do anything we need to do for our tough little man.
In many cultures the spirit animal fox is known for being "sly" and "sneaky", not necessarily as a trickster, but as someone who can swiftly find their way around obsticles. His room decor, his blankets, outfits, etc have been focused around the fox since day 1 and I dont think it was ever a coincidence. He is our baby fox and he will find his way around any obsticle thrown his way. We appreciate the support, love, prayers, and positive vibes as we prepare for another procedure. We LOVE and are so proud of our #SterlingFox: the strongest, bravest, sweetest little boy we know.
Follow Sterling Fox on Facebook for updates. ❤️
Organizer
Steph Weinkauf
Organizer
Rio Rancho, NM
