Baby Addi

Addison was born on March 2nd is currently in the NICU at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Addi was born with two heart syndromes: complete Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD) and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). This means there is a hole in the center of her heart where the wall between the upper chambers joins the wall between the lower chambers. There are also holes in the formed part of the septum in both the upper and lower parts of her heart. The tricuspid and mitral valves that normally separate the hearts upper and lower chambers are not formed as individual valves; instead she has a single large valve. This large opening in the center of the heart lets blood flow in all directions inside her heart. The left side of her heart (particularly the left ventricle) is small, underdeveloped and not able to function effectively. She is currently taking medication and will have surgery soon to place a pulmonary artery band to help prevent congestive heart failure until she is big enough to start to repair the defects. She needs to grow before the subsequent 2-5 open heart surgeries that are scheduled to begin when she is about 3 months old. Addi, her parents and the rest of our family are very much in need of prayers.