Renae and Ben Ballard are a couple from Savannah, Georgia with a 17 month old son and another son on the way. Renae and Ben found out April 21st, 2015 that their unborn son, Brantley David Ballard, has a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Since finding this out, Renae is required to have to deliver baby Brantley in Atlanta, Georgia at Northside hospital. Soon after delivery, Brantley will then be transferred over to the children’s hospital in Emory where he will then undergo a number of open heart surgeries.

 Let me tell you a little bit more about Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. HLHS is a rare congenital heart defect in which the left ventricle of the heart is severely underdeveloped. This syndrome affects normal blood flow through the heart. With HLHS, the left side of the heart does not form correctly during pregnancy. Most of the structures on the left side of the heart are too small and underdeveloped to provide enough blood flow for the body’s needs. The small left ventricle, which needs to be large enough and strong enough to pump blood out to the body, simply can’t function effectively. Other left heart structures can also be underdeveloped in varying degrees. The causes of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome are unknown. HLHS occurs in one out of 4, 344 live births, or an estimated total of 960 live births every year in the United States.

 Baby Brantley will have to undergo three major open heart surgeries. The first one (called the Norwood Procedure) will happen anywhere from birth to a week old. The second (called the Bi-directional Glenn Shunt Procedure) will happen when Brantley is about 3-6 months old. The third (called the Fontan Procedure) will happen anywhere between the age of 2 and 6 years of age. Of course none of these surgeries are a cure, and Brantley might end up needing a heart transplant when he is older. It is also stated that with HLHS, babies become overly tired and often times to not want to feed. When this happens, the baby will have to be placed on a high-calorie formula. If the baby does not take this high-calorie formula, then they will have to place a feeding tube in order for the baby to receive the proper nutrition and gain weight. For the rest of baby Brantley’s life, he will have to see a cardiologist in order to monitor his heart progress.

 With each of these surgeries, it will place Renae and Ben away from their home and jobs. This means that Renae and Ben will also be away from their first born son for quite a while without him understanding why his mommy and daddy left.  Of course these surgeries along with the long-term treatment care that Brantley will have to go through are all costly, with insurance only paying a portion of that cost. Any type of donation will help out and are greatly appreciated by the family members. Please keep this family and baby Brantley in your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.