Pregnancy Post #1 from old blog

At my routine 20 week diagnostic ultrasound, the ultrasound showed that  baby Ethan would have several heart defects.  After a fetal echocardiogram was performed with the pediatric cardiologist it was discovered that the primary diagnosis was Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a very serious condition where the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped.  In addition to that, my baby has aortic valve stenosis, small ascending aorta, coarctation of aorta, and venticricular spectal defect (VSD).   Ethan Matthew will need surgery within 5 days after he is born. A second surgery will be performed at 3-6 months to continue the repair on his little heart.  He will need 1 more surgery to rebuild his heart when he is 3-5 years old.  If the 3 procedure process to rebuild and redirect the blood flow in his heart are not successful, Ethan may need a pediatric heart transplant.  Even if the surgeries are very successful, Ethan will be a heart patient needing care for the rest of his life.