Heart-to-Heart #6: Wisdom Heart
April 30, 2006 by Lei
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
This week, I’m featuring Wisdom Heart at both A Hearty Life and Genetics and Health. Wisdom Heart is written by Michael, father to Sophia, a toddler born with DiGeorge Syndrome and congenital heart defects.
She recently made a visit to the cath lab where the news wasn’t as good as Michael and his wife, Patty, had hoped.
In fact, the news from the cath is really pretty devastating. The left pulmonary artery branches are narrow and will require some attention and the pseudoaneurysm is quite large, but this isn’t the really bad news. Sophia’s right lung is only receiving 20% of the normal volume of blood flow from the heart. The upper right lobe is receiving no blood flow at all. The problem is, and we won’t know this for sure until after the surgeons look at it, there doesn’t appear to be many options for improving this situation. The vessels are either not there or very small, we don’t know yet if there will be surgical options for restoring the lungs connection to the heart. In the meantime, with the reduced flow to the left lung Sophia is basically functioning on one lung or less.
Sophia, Michael, and Patty could use your support right now. Please make a visit to Wisdom Heart and say hi, perhaps even contribute to their heart walk pages.
Technorati Tags: heart disease, digeorge syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cvd, heart, congenital heart defect, disease, health
