MACIEJ TKACZ-LITTLE FIGHTER

Thank you so much for visiting my page.

My name is Maciej here is my story written by my mummy :)

 
January 27th 2015

7:15pm

Our son Maciej came into the world, measuring 22.04 inches long and weighing 7.65lb.  

As you would expect, this little boy stole our hearts from the first moments of his life.

After his birth, Maciej was with me just for three hours in the recovery room.  As a new mum, I had a my first chance to enjoy a mother-and son moment as he lay on my chest…

It was an incredible feeling and I was filled with happiness.

Around 11pm we were taken to the neonatal care unit.  The midwife took my son for a routine check up, but she did not bring him back to us.  

Medical staff suspected he had a heart defect but they did not have enough equipment to confirm their diagnosis.

We had to be transferred to another hospital.  

January 28th

I held my little angel close to me, as we waited for an ambulance equipped with an incubator, which would take us to Hospital in Walbrzych.  

Later that day, our worst fears were confirmed when we were advised that Maciej suffers from Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital heart defect. In Maciej's case the left ventricle did not developed at all. His little heart only has on ventrcle.

The doctors decided that our little one must be taken to yet another hospital - this time to Wroclaw. Here he was placed in the specialist cardiology unit and put on the medication which would keep him alive whilst he awaited surgery. 

January 31st  

During our third day on the hospital ward we learnt that Macej’s heart was not improving.  The defect was so complicated that we might have to search elsewhere for help.  Once again we had to transfer him to another hospital - this time to Katowice.

Before we left Wroclaw we were told that there were three different operations that could save Maciej’s young life, and we had to make a difficult decision: which one to choose?  
It was so so hard for us to decide which option would be the best for our little son… we had no clue what to do but it was up to us to make the final choice.  

Before we did so, we turned to the doctor and asked what he would do in our place.  Which option did he think would be the best for Maciej?  His replied, “from the point of view of a cardiologist or a father,  I would choose option four.”  “Option four?” we asked, full of hope that he was going to give us the best advice and that this new fourth option would be the answer.  “Yes”, he replied.  “I wouldn’t treat or operate”.

We were speechless.  You couldn’t begin to imagine what we felt at this particular moment, and we had to make the decision alone.  It was so hard for us as parents, really hard.

We decided to go ahead with the Norwood 1 surgery.Little Maciej was then taken to the GCZD Katowice Hospital, where he was transferred to the special cardiac care unit.


February 11th

Today was the day of the operation.  
At 9:48 am, our son was taken to theatre.  
Time stood still as everything began around us.  
 We can’t begin describe what we felt as we paced up and down outside the door to the operating theatre:

There was war in our heads ...

There was no end to our prayers ...

Maciej wasn’t sedated… he was in deep hypothermia… was he in pain?...

At 2:00pm Dr. Stanek came out and asked if we were the parents of a newborn baby Maciej.  

We stood still waiting for good news.  He told us that the operation had gone well and according to plan,  but that everything from now on would depend on Maciej. The next three days would be crucial.


Relief…

An explosion of tears…

From now it can only get better!

That day we saw him just for 10 minutes....


 Our little warrior was making a good recovery.

A few days later, the doctors made a successful attempt to remove him from the life support machine.  He was able to breathe on his own for two whole days! However,  two weeks later Maciej doctors tried again and our soon was breathing on his own for four days but suddenly went into septic shock and once again he  ended up in a critical condition!  

The doctors told us to be prepared for any eventuality.

 We hoped that everything will be ok, and every night prayed that the phone would not ring with bad news.

Our little warrior made it through.  

Maciej bravely fought against all adversity.


March 11th

Maciej’s condition had now improved a little, and it was time for him to go to yet another hospital.  He was taken to Jastrzebie Zdroj.


March 25th

After two weeks here, Maciej  once was breathing on his own without the aid of a life support machine.  

He was nearly ready to be transported back to Wroclaw hospital.

 
April 1st

 Now we were back in the cardiology centre at Wroclaw Hospital.  Here our son began to recover and to smile.  The doctors even suggested that maybe… maybe... we would be able to take Maciej home for the first time if he continued to improve.

We saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

 
April 13th

Everything was finally going so well,  but at midnight we received a phone call from the hospital. Our little one had suffered a septic shock again.  He had been rushed to another hospital where he was in the intensive care unit.

As his mother, I promised Maciej that I would move heaven and earth in my effort to stop him suffering any longer. 

I promised that we would show him what it means to have a warm home… a mother's love…  a father’s love… care every day….everything...


We keep visiting our son daily to be at his side and to see that he is alright… holding his tiny hand… reading him books so he knows a bit about the world.. making sure he will not miss a thing…and assuring him all the time that he will be fine… and that he needs to find strength for his fight !  We tell him how many good-hearted people are helping him with their prayers and their love. 

April 20th

The doctors thought he was strong enough to try breathing on his own and for only the third time in his life, I had the precious chance to hold his warm little body in my arms.  To hug him, kiss him and share precious moments.


April 22nd

We returned to the cardiology unit at the hospital on Kaminski Street. 

We hope and pray that that will be the last stage of our journey and we will be able to take Maciej home…. it all depends on him.

He is little fighter.


He will need another operation soon, therefore we ask people with good hearts to help us raise money for the special medical equipment which Maciej will need to stay safe while at home… and the huge amount of money needed for his second heart operation and his physio.  

Thank you all for taking a time to read our son's story...
We really appreciate all your support and thank you so much to everyone for all the support already given.

Kasia and Bartek Tkacz.