Team Travis: Reflection - Lessons from Travis

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Reflection - Lessons from Travis

As everybody is thinking of the ten year anniversary of 9/11. I am unable to get past the past year. I miss my boy a ton and he is still the first thought on my mind in the morning and the last at night. We have decided to let Addison play with Travis' favorite toy. I was able to capture video of her using it today and it reminded me of a video that I never posted. I put this together today in honor of my boy.

3 comments:

UnknownSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:27 PM
I am so sorry. I can not imagine your pain. Really, my heart just breaks for you and with you.
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StaceySeptember 16, 2011 at 1:01 AM
You've got two amazing little ones. Trav will be with his little sister, always.
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Jess (Kinzel) CampOctober 12, 2011 at 11:46 AM
Coach - great video, you have been blessed with two amazing kids. Travis is a source of strength as you know he is watching over you, Nicole, and Addie. He has taught me some valuable lessons...always smile, even when it hurts. Live life happy cuz it's too short to be sad.
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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.....