TOLEDO (WTOL) - We talk about matters of the heart on Valentine’s Day. Well that takes on a whole new meaning for a Toledo family whose lives completely changed with the birth of their daughter.
“It hits you like a ton a bricks, because she was swollen and she was using all the monitors and the beeping machines and it, you can’t forget it,” recalled Nicole Rowan about her daughter Emmalyn’s first surgery.
That was seven months ago. Nicole and her husband Terry knew there was a problem with Emmalyn’s heart before she was born. A fetal echo picked up a little something, but they had no idea of the extent of what they were about to embark on.
“We thought she might have a short stay in the NICU and come home. The thought of surgery right away, we knew it was always possible, but it was the farthest thing we thought was possible,” said Nicole.
Emmalyn was born with a congenital heart defect. Her case is particularly complicated. In her first six months of life, she's been through two open heart surgeries. The first was at just two days old. She has another big one coming.
“In two to three months, the baby will get another surgery. That we say is the final surgery,” said Pediatric Cardiologist with Mercy Healthy, Dr. Ding Ding Xiong.
He saud that surgery will make her heart do what it’s supposed to be doing. From there, Dr. Xiong and the Rowan’s hope little Emmalyn will grow strong and live as normal a life as possible.
Congenital heart disease happens in a little less than one out of 100 live-born children. The Rowan's want to raise awareness during heart month and help other parents who may soon be going on a similar journey.
“Maybe there’s a mom that’s due for a scan or pregnant who can go in an ask, ‘do you see four chambers of the heart? Do you see all the valves that are working?’” said Nicole.
The Rowan’s want other parents of kids with congenital heart disease to keep hope and never be afraid to ask for help.