tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793772659866386394.post8830216085091139222..comments2023-03-26T09:02:06.239-05:00Comments on Olivia's Special Heart: Our HLHS Journey: Major milestones this weekMelaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975116801763990568noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793772659866386394.post-24808104282502642742011-08-12T12:20:29.559-05:002011-08-12T12:20:29.559-05:00Hi - A friend posted a link on facebook to your fu...Hi - A friend posted a link on facebook to your fundraiser for your baby with a congenital heart defect. I can only imagine it's a scary time, and I'm sending light and love to all of you. <br /><br />I was born with a CHD too - Tetralogy of Fallot & an absent pulmonary valve. Have been through two open heart surgeries to put in mechanical valves & other cardiac issues. <br /><br />I see a pediatric cardiologist at Ochsner on Jefferson. His name is Dr. Thomas Young, and he is amazing, kind, compassionate, and unbelievably smart in helping me manage the problems associated with my heart stuff. <br /><br />His nurses are wonderful, and the whole office is just full of happy, caring people who understand how tough it is to have a kid with heart issues. :)<br /><br />It looks like Olivia will be born in Phily, but Dr. Young might be a good resource for you in Nola. <br /><br />Also, my pediatric cardiologist growing up was Dr. James Reynolds - he was at Baptist then went to Tulane. I don't think he practices any more, but almost every doctor I've met knew him when it came to CHD, it seems. It seems to be a small world when talking about chd in New Orleans. <br /><br />There's a lot of great information online - it might be overwhelming at times - but the congenital heart network has pretty good resources. <br /><br />http://www.tchin.org/<br /><br />Please feel free to contact me if there are any questions you might have - or if you want to talk to my parents on how they handled raising a baby with a CHD. My email is leilanimichel@gmail.com. <br /><br />Also, there's been so much progress in helping kids with heart issues. My family waiting til I was 14 to have my first surgery, but now they can do so much with babies! It's truly amazing! (I'm 37 now and have been relatively healthy most of my life until my 2nd surgery two years ago). <br /><br />And if you want heart warming (hahaha) commercial, the kid in that VW commercial with playing Darth Vader was born with a congenital heart defect. Again, it's just nerve wracking when dealing with trying to help your baby with heart issues, so I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers! <br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com