The following is from the care page's about section:
On April 3rd 2011 we found out that I was pregnant with a due date of December 16th. As excited as we were we had no idea the impact this little boy would have on our lives and the lives of those around us. Until my 20 week ultrasound we were told he was perfectly healthy. While he is still our perfect boy we found out he would be born with a rare defects. He has a very unique heart. He was diagno...
sed with L-TGA, VSD, pulmonary stenosis and some other minor problems. What this all basically means is, the bottom chambers of his heart are reversed with a hole in between them and his pulmonary artery was too small. While i was still pregnant the plan was hed need surgery between 9-12 months (Zealen had other plans). He was born 6 weeks early on November 7th, 2011 weighing 5 lbs. He had a two week stay in the NICU after which we finally got to take him home. We cared for him at home for less than a week. During a scheduled cardiac appointment we were sent to Ann Arbor, MI for emergency open heart surgery. His pulmonary artery had gotten smaller and they placed a shunt in it. After a week of recovery we were doing tests in order to go home and his shunt had clogged and he had to have another procedure. So after another week we finally got to take him home. Other than many doctors appointments things were relatively normal. He thrived, growing better than anyone expected and surpassing all of his milestones. We knew he would still need a major surgery. August 20th he went in for his total repair, (a unique and extremely complicated procedure). Which brings us up to date. He has been through so much, yet he is the happiest and most loving child I've ever met! We love our little miracle :)
Following are pictures of little Zealen
His sweet face makes me so sad to know that he left this early. Even sadder to know that he is Emma's age and his mother and father are too young to go through all of this. I am just heart broken for them for having to say goodbye to Zealen.





Every time you talk about the stories from your November 2011 birth club, they are always REALLY, REALLY depressing. What makes it even worse is that the pictures of these little babies are so beautiful and heartbreaking. I wish you'd leave that birth club because you're always making me lose sleep!
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ReplyDeleteTom I'm sorry it is not meant to make anyone lose sleep. It is meant to be a page to pay respect. I don't think anyone expected Zealen to pass, we moms talk everyday they are like a second family, we all have babies born in Nov 2011. I don't know and cannot imagine what she is going through...but I can aleast let her know that we all grieve for her loss not as much as she does but that we care enough to feel a loss as well. If this were my baby I would feel like she meant so much more than a news paper obituary knowing that others cared she was gone.
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