Owen: Coarctation of the Aorta & Bicuspid Valve
鈥淎t the worst time in my life, the staff always made us laugh and feel loved. The Nemours Cardiac Center saved his life more than once. Every time I look into his eyes I see all their faces. They gave us our son back.鈥
鈥 Beth, Mother
As a newborn, Owen didn鈥檛 sleep well, but his parents Beth and David weren鈥檛 worried 鈥 until he turned blue. Rushed to their local ED, Owen was diagnosed with a respiratory virus and referred to Nemours Children鈥檚 Hospital, Delaware. En route, his condition deteriorated and his parents feared they had lost him.
At Nemours, doctors revived Owen and diagnosed a serious heart defect 鈥 coarctation of the aorta and bicuspid valve 鈥 for which he underwent pediatric heart surgery a week later. Owen had several more procedures and spent more than three months in the cardiac intensive care unit. Through it all, his family and care team stayed positive.
Owen is now a happy, healthy, active 4-year-old. He attends school and loves trains and his two older brothers.