Sophear's Heart

Like many other babies, our girl was born with a hole in her heart called a PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus). Unlike most of those other babies, Sophear's hole has never closed.  At ten-months-old, on Christmas Eve 2014, Sophear had her first visit to a children's hospital and to a pediatric cardiologist.  We were scared.  We are still scared.

The heart is an important organ.  And Sophear is a little girl.

The ductus arteriosus is an artery connecting the main body artery (aorta) and the main lung artery (pulmonary artery). The ductus allows blood to detour away from the lungs before birth.  After birth, the opening is no longer needed and it usually closes within the first few days of life outside the womb.  Sophear's ductus never closed.

The human heart has four chambers: two upper chambers (the atria) and two lower ones (the ventricles). The right atrium and right ventricle together make up the "right heart," and the left atrium and left ventricle make up the "left heart."

The heart circulates blood through two pathways: the pulmonary circuit and the systemic circuit. In the pulmonary circuit, deoxygenated blood leaves the right ventricle of the heart via the pulmonary artery and travels to the lungs, then returns as oxygenated blood to the left atrium of the heart via the pulmonary vein.

In a child with PDA, extra blood gets pumped from the body artery (aorta) into the lung (pulmonary) arteries. If the PDA is large, the extra blood being pumped into the lung arteries makes the heart and lungs work harder.  As a result, the walls of Sophear's heart are growing thicker, with the risk that they will not thin out again without intervention.

The heart is an important organ.  And Sophear is a little girl.

On Wednesday, March 16, Sophear is scheduled for surgery at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital.  We check-in at 7am, with surgery expected to begin by 9am, and lasting between two and four hours or longer.  I can't think about it too much without feeling paralyzed and broken.  It's not a complicated surgery. The risks aren't threatening.  We have full confidence in the Great Physician.

But the heart is an important organ.  And Sophear is my little girl.

Would you join us in praying?

• Yesterday, Sophear had some flu-like symptoms.  Pray that she is healthy and strong for surgery.
• Pray for Dr. Anil Kumar, the anesthesiologist, and the other medical staff during surgery.
• Pray for Sophear's recovery in the hours and days following the surgery.
• Pray for our nurses during the recovery and hospital stay.
• Pray for peace for our hearts, especially during the days and hours leading up to surgery and as we sit in the waiting room.
• Pray for our fundraising efforts - the surgery, etc. is very expensive and we're just not sure how we will tackle the medical bills.  We're also not sure how we're going to fundraise for the medical bills, because honestly, it's all just too much right now.

If you would like to receive updates during her recovery, or you would like to write or record a greeting or well wish for Sophear, click HERE.

Thank you, friends, for your prayers and support!

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

With thankful hearts,
Titus, Jewel, & Sophear