Kaitlin was 20 weeks pregnant when she learned, during a routine ultrasound, that something was wrong with her unborn baby’s heart.
“I was very anxious and nervous because they weren’t sure exactly what was wrong,” shares Kaitlin. “They could just tell that it was developed differently.”
Kaitlin’s family doctor referred her to the IWK, where she had an ultrasound and an echocardiogram (a test that checks the structure and function of the heart). She and her husband, Joel, also met with a cardiologist to discuss the results.
They discovered that her baby had a ventricular septal defect (a hole in the heart), a congenital heart defect called double-outlet right ventricle and a life-threatening heart condition called transposition of the great arteries (TGA). With TGA, the two main blood vessels coming out of the heart—the aorta and the pulmonary artery—are switched in position, which can cause low blood oxygen levels. Due to these heart defects, her baby would need multiple heart surgeries at various ages.
As a precautionary measure, Kaitlin relocated to Halifax and was admitted to the IWK when Kaitlin was 36 weeks pregnant. Her baby needed to be monitored closely, especially after delivery, should complications arise, and specialized care is urgently needed.
Thankfully, they were right where they needed to be.
Two days after their daughter, Everly, was born, she went into respiratory distress. She was intubated and needed to undergo emergency heart surgery that lasted 12 hours.
“Joel and I were beside ourselves. It was very emotional and stressful,” recalls Kaitlin.
Everly’s surgery went very well, and her health was stabilized. She spent four weeks in the IWK’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) recovering before being moved to the IWK’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for another two weeks before returning home.
When Everly was nine months old, she had another open-heart surgery to help improve how blood flows through her heart. The surgery was a success, and Everly spent time in the PICU before being transferred to the IWK’s Medical, Surgical, and Neurosciences Unit (MSNU) to recover. After two weeks at the IWK, she was able to return home.
Everly was four years old when she had her final heart surgery. Because she was much older and aware that an important procedure was happening, a Child Life specialist visited her room to try and help put her at ease about her surgery.
“They showed her the breathing mask that they were going to put over her mouth and the different IVs she might have,” explains Kaitlin. “The nurse that took her to the OR was a nurse she would always see in the clinic. So that was helpful that she knew a familiar face.”
Nana Margie, the IWK’s therapeutic clown, also visited Everly after her surgery to help brighten her mood and lift her spirits.
“I had never heard Everly laugh and go on the way she did that whole time in the hospital until Nana Margie came,” shares Kaitlin. “It was amazing. She was laughing out of her toes at the clown.”
Everly, now five years old, is doing really well and visits the IWK yearly for an annual check-up. She enjoys spending time outside with her dad, princess dresses, and everything pink and sparkly.
Kaitlin and Joel feel very grateful for the IWK and the care they and Everly have received over the past five years. “We’re so blessed to have the IWK in Nova Scotia,” says Kaitlin. “The staff go above and beyond and just want to make your child and you as comfortable as possible.”
