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Meet Haven Blu McCormack Little Rock, Arkansas
Haven was rushed to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where she was diagnosed with pulmonary stenosis, a congenital heart defect. The artery that connected Haven’s heart to her lungs was almost completely closed. In addition, the valve between her right atrium and right ventricle did not close properly. To repair her defect, she had two heart procedures in her first 11 days of life. The surgeries were a success, and a day later, Haven was ready to be taken off the ventilator to breathe on her own. Shortly after the ventilator was removed, Haven’s oxygen levels began dropping. ACH staff members performed CPR on 11-day-old Haven for nearly an hour to keep her alive. After she was stabilized, she was placed on ECMO, a heart-lung bypass machine that allowed Haven’s body to rest, heal and recuperate. She was removed from the machine 36 hours later. “We never envisioned seeing our baby girl connected to a machine that did all the work of her heart and lungs outside of her body,” says Deana. While recovering, Haven began having difficulty with aspiration. She underwent one more surgery – to have a gastrostomy-button (G-button) implanted, giving her family a way to provide nutrition and medicine directly into her stomach. Haven was sent home in February 2007, five weeks after she was born. A year and a half later, her G-button was removed. The following spring Haven underwent another heart surgery. Because of some speech and motor skill delays, she attends occupational, physical and speech therapy every week, but Haven continues to improve. According to Deana, Haven has a strong will, vibrant spirit and a captivating smile for everyone she meets. “Without Arkansas Children’s Hospital, our little girl would not be here,” says Deana. “We are so grateful to have this wonderful facility here in our state.” |
The first hour of Haven Blu McCormack’s life was perfect…until her doctor heard a heart murmur.