Love for Wesley James

This family has been through a lot in the first month of Wesley James Schwarz’s life. We appreciate all the love and any support you can give as Wesley remains hospitalized after open heart surgery and the continuous battles he’s endured thereafter.

In the morning on Thursday, Nov. 15th, after a regularly scheduled 37-week check-up, the doctor was concerned with the baby’s heart rate and acted fast, inducing labor that very same day. Wesley came into the world the following morning, Friday, November 16th, at 5:40am; other than some common concerns and some feeding trouble, he was doing great.

On Saturday, however, things took a turn for the worse: a heart murmur was discovered, Wesley’s health continued to decline, and he simply did not look well. Shortly after, the NICU’s neonatologist rushed upstairs to inform that a heart defect was found. Wesley needed immediate intervention.

We were all shocked and saddened to hear this news and Jamie and Elsie were scared for their new boy. He was then rushed to the NICU for an emergency procedure to help keep his heart stable until the transport team could arrive and take him to Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Jamie and Elsie followed right behind the ambulance, arriving near midnight.

After numerous scans and tests, they confirmed Wesley had a severe coarctation of the aorta. He went through open heart surgery at four days old on Tuesday, November 20th.

The surgery was successful, but in the coming weeks, as he healed from heart surgery, he faced other battles: cardiac arrest caused by pericardial and pleural effusions, a paralyzed left diaphragm and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) resulting in sepsis. It felt like every day was a new bump in the road. Quiet days were hard to come by and it was a blessing when they did. 

Wesley has kept our family on the edge of our seats since the day he was born. He is a fighter and has accumulated quite the following at the hospital. The nurses love him, and the doctors are amazed by his spirit. Because of all he has endured in his first month of life, he is the talk of the faculty.

We have created this page to help Jamie and Elsie afford the countless medical bills and unexpected expenses as they remain bedside of Wesley to show love and support that he needs; not to mention, all while trying to be there for his older siblings back home in the suburbs as well. We appreciate all the love and any support you can offer. Thank you.