Team Travis: Gratitude & Latitude

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Gratitude & Latitude

Gratitude

I am thankful for the strength to get through each day.
I am greatful to have access to some of the best medical care in the country.

I am thankful I have adequate insurance to cover Travis' medical bills.
I am happy to be surrounded by close friends and family who do anything for me
I am thankful for the sports theme in my baby's room that makes me smile
I am greatful for the motherly intuition that keeps me fighting and hopeful.
I love baby kicks.
I love songs that give me hope.

I love my dogs and how they do silly things to cheer me up.

I am greatful for my husband and his strength.

Latitude
Give me latitude because I'm not always as positive about the future as I could be.
Give me latitude because I often fear the challenges ahead of me.
Give me latitude because sometimes 81 more days is a long wait.
Give me latitude because sometimes I'm angry I don't have answers.

Give me latitude because I'm angry this is happening to us.
Give me latitude because I don't understand how people who don't want perfectly healthy beautiful babies receive them anyways.

Give me latitude because I have no patience for others who are complaining about things that just don't seem important anymore.

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Travis Gary DiCarlo

Travis Gary DiCarlo, first son of Roger and Nicole DiCarlo, was born at San Diego Kaiser Hospital, October 23, 2009 with a Congenital Heart Defect known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or HLHS. The short explanation is that Travis was born with only half of a heart. In order for him to live, a series of three operations were planned.

Due to an infection, Travis had to have an additional open heart surgery to insert pulmonary artery bands on October 29, 2009. He had his Norwood Surgery on November 21, 2009. He was sent home on December 14, 2009 from Rady's Children Hospital of San Diego after spending his first 52 nights of life in the hospital.

After being home for several months, Travis was due to for his next surgery in the plan, the Glenn procedure. But the life of a cardiac kid can change in an instant and life doesn't always go as planned. Due to the anatomy of his heart and some rhythm issues, Travis had what the surgeons called Norwood part 2. They replaced his Sano Shunt with a bigger one, enlarged his pulmonary arteries and installed a pacemaker. This surgery was performed on May 3, 2010. Travis went home on May 17th, 2010.

Around Travis' first birthday in October his cardiologist detected some narrowing in his pulmonary artery and ordered a heart cath. The heart cath showed extensive narrowing in his aorta and his pulmonary artery. On February 17, 2011 Travis had his 4th open heart surgery. He was doing well with recovery until he suddenly went into cardiac arrest on Friday (2/18). After two hours of CPR Travis was placed on ECMO (a heart/lung bypass). Although his heart did begin to beat again on its own, his brain was damaged during the whole ordeal and he lost all brain function. We had to say goodbye to our beautiful boy on Saturday, February 19th. We miss our boy terribly.....