05/27/2026
"Baylor was born on Monday, February 2, 2026, via C-section at our local hospital in Lafayette, Indiana. When I first saw Baylor, the first thing I noticed was how blue he was. Baylor had an uneventful first night, but the next day, our world changed. Baylor had a prominent heart murmur, and an echocardiogram was ordered STAT.
From there, Baylor was admitted to the NICU, and we received a diagnosis: pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS). We had no idea what any of this meant, and we didn’t know what the future would hold. Baylor was immediately started on prostaglandins to keep his PDA open so his lungs could receive oxygenated blood. He was then transferred from our home hospital in Lafayette to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
At Peyton Manning, Baylor underwent a heart catheterization. They were able to perforate his pulmonary valve but were not able to dilate it with a balloon. We were worried this meant open-heart surgery, but Dr. Chan informed us that he was optimistic that, if we transferred to Cincinnati Children’s, they would be able to both perforate the valve and dilate it with a balloon via cardiac catheterization.
Baylor was then transferred from Indianapolis to Cincinnati on Sunday, February 8. On Monday, February 9, he underwent his second heart catheterization. He was in the best hands with Dr. Shahanavaz, Dr. Chan, Dr. Matoq, Dr. Boucek, Dr. Richardson, and Dr. Siow. The communication from the staff while Baylor was in the procedure was nothing short of amazing. Within an hour, we received a call that the procedure was successful, and no further interventions were needed at that time!
Baylor’s hospitalization was complicated and prolonged due to a right lung collapse and the time it took to wean him off oxygen. Through all of the complications, eating was never one of them for our heart warrior! I think he just really enjoyed being around all of those amazing nurses. After 30 days, we were able to go home with our sweet boy.
Cincinnati Children’s was an amazing place to be. We were 3.5 hours away from home, yet they made us feel as comfortable as we possibly could in a hospital setting. The Ronald McDonald House was incredible and a true blessing, being only steps away from the hospital. The nurses, respiratory therapists, doctors, dietitians, social workers, and everyone in between were beyond outstanding."
