Fighting with every heart beat
Meet my two-year-old nephew Jaden Trollip.
If you had to spot little Jaden and his mom at the Bunny Park or at the local Spur you would probably just see a normal boy (albeit a little small in size) enjoying his life.
But, beneath his T-shirt, a vertical scar runs down his chest – an unwanted symbol of the battle that this young fella and a number of others have fought in their short lives, and still continue to fight.
Some babies have, sadly, not been as fortunate as Jaden.
The month of February is all about love and matters of the heart, so, in keeping with the heart theme, what better way to make the plight of Jaden and thousands of others known than with Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Week, which runs from Friday, February 7, to Valentine’s Day (February 14)?
Most people are unaware that congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects throughout the world.
CHDs are conditions that are present at birth and can affect the structure of a baby’s heart and the way it works.
If you are pregnant or know someone who is, make sure that you ask for (and tell them to ask) for a pulse oximetary test on your baby – it is painless and non-evasive and could save your baby’s life.
It is frightening to know that one in 100 babies are born in South Africa with a CHD every year — approximately 11 000 babies a year.
CHDs kill twice the number of children as childhood cancer and, still, pregnant women are not routinely tested and newborns are not routinely screened for CHDs.
As a result, these often go undetected until sometime after birth and, in some cases, they are detected too late.
There are about 40 types of CHDs and early detection is crucial.
Organisations such as the Hudson Initiative are making it their mission to see CHDs become as normal a scan as the Downs Syndrome check at 20 weeks, and that Pulse Oximetry tests are performed on all newborn babies.
A Pulse Oximetry test measures how much oxygen is in a baby’s blood, after the baby is 24 hours old, and this dramatically increases their chances of survival.
In the meantime, the initiative is raising money to fund CHD awareness campaigns and pay for pulse oximetry testing in infants.
The long-term goal is to pay for surgeries needed by babies whose families cannot afford them.
Interested parties can sign a petition and spread the word by visiting www.hudsoninitiative.org.
CHDs are terrifying, but they are not the end.
CHD babies live and they thrive.
There is something inside them that cannot be described.
I’ve seen it in Jaden.
An undying spirit, will and thirst to live and enjoy every second of each day with which they are blessed.
Arm yourself with knowledge so that you can help to mend a broken heart.
LG
