Kaitlyn was born with a complex heart defect called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), which means that the two major vessels that carry blood away from the heart -- the aorta and the pulmonary artery -- are switched. 

Everything about her birth had been normal so when she arrived no one knew that her heart had a serious problem. Just 11 hours after she was born, a nurse noticed a faint blue color on her upper lip and she was taken away for tests.  Within a couple of hours doctors diagnosed her with TGA and determined that she needed heart surgery to fix the transposed arteries. 

Kaitlyn had arterial switch surgery at 7 days old with no complications. She was able to come home one week after her surgery with nothing but a weeks worth of antibiotics and Tylenol for pain relief if needed.  For the first two years of her life we visited the pediatric cardiologist every 3 to 6 months to monitor her development. She progressed perfectly.

At 4 years old the doctor said she only needed annual visits. We continue to go for annual checkups, and so far, all is fine. She is now a sweet, bubbly, artistic and energetic 7 and a half-year-old, who loves school, swimming lessons, gymnastics, and roller coasters! 


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