Cardiovascular Birth Defects - Brody

Brody was born at 39 weeks and 5 days on October 28, 2013. Even though he was born by emergency c-section, with a true knot in his cord and the cord around his neck, neither were tight and he was declared healthy. Such a miracle already!!
 He initially had a heart murmur and then I was told the murmur cleared. By the time he was 2 days old we were cleared to go home. At this point Brody was already beginning to eat and pee less. The next day at the pediatricians office he was again declared in good health. By Friday, at 4 days old, Brody was no longer eating and making what I thought were whimpering type noises. Being my fourth child, I didn't believe he was acting normally and my husband and I took him to the ER. We were quickly taken back, Brody taken out of arms, now completely limp.  They began working on him, talking to Vanderbilt and doing what they could to keep him alive.  We were told he had to be life flighted and we needed to start our drive to Nashville. We were also told there was a real chance he would not make it. We only live about 45 minutes from Vandy, but it was the longest drive ever. It is also the longest and hardest I believe I have ever prayed. 
We beat life flight there but once they arrived the ER doctors immediately went to work. Brody already looked better as Vandy doctors had told our ER doctors to give him prostaglandin in case it was his heart. After several touch and go moments we were told that although he was extremely sick, he was now in a more stable condition. Brody was suffering from coarctation of the aorta. When he took his first breath his PDA began closing as it was supposed to, but his aorta was also closing cutting off blood flow to the rest of his body. 
Brody spent 4 days in the Cardiac Care NICU. He was of course one of the largest babies, still weighing just under 8 pounds. At 8 days, the surgeon was able to go in through Brody's back and resection his aorta and reestablish proper blood flow. He had pulled through and continued to get stronger every day.  Brody had another section of his aorta stop growing with his body causing another coarctation. This time, at 2 1/2 months Brody had to have his chest opened up and his aorta was patched with pericardium tissue. He is still in blood pressure medicine, has a bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse that  are both currently functioning normally. He is a true miracle, a beautiful and happy boy! I hope that the state of Tennessee - every single state- will pass a law requiring a simple pulse oximetry test before leaving the hospital. It can detect several types of heart defects. I know it would not have changed Brody's heart condition, but it would have kept him from becoming so critical.  I'm so thankful to everyone that tended to him, life flight and every doctor and nurse, as well as the amount of prayers sent up on his behalf. 

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