Thalia: Heart Full of Hope
Before she was born, Thalia Fletcher's pediatric cardiologist, Randy Bryant, MD, was already taking care of her. When her mother Rita was six months' pregnant, doctors found that Thalia had heart problems and she was treated with medicine in utero to help control her heart rate.
On May 9, 1997, Thalia was born at Baptist Medical Center Downtown. Further testing revealed that she had permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia, secondary to cardiomyopathy, and thus began a long stay in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Wolfson. She was cared for by Dr. Bryant and Sharon Redfern, his nurse practitioner, who put the baby girl on several medications to control the tachycardia and help improve her cardiac function.
"She spent several weeks heavily sedated in NICU. We were not allowed to talk around her or touch her," remembers her mother, who also remembers the wonderful care both she and her baby received. "The doctors and nurses did an awesome job."
Rita adds, "At Wolfson, we've spent a lot of time in the outpatient area and in the cardiac unit. The rapport that everyone has with the children and parents is very reassuring."
Thalia has had surgery twice, at age two and age four, for cardiac ablations.
Each ablation lasted between eight to 16 hours, and Rita remembers the long vigil in the waiting room. "It was after-hours, and a volunteer stayed until the surgery was over just to keep us current on what was going on with Thalia," she says. "You need that when your child is in surgery. The care we received was genuine."
Both of the ablation surgeries were unsuccessful because Thalia's heart was not big enough to easily reach the area that needed the procedures.
Thalia is now 10 years old, in the fifth grade and awaiting her next procedure with the hope that her heart has grown big enough for the ablation to be successful. "I have the utmost faith in Dr. Bryant and Sharon. Dr. Bryant has always been our knight in shining armor," says her mother.
Meanwhile, Thalia lives a pretty normal life because her heart is controlled by medication. "She can't play strenuous sports," says her mother, "but she bowls and takes dance classes in hip-hop."
Five years ago, Thalia was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism and now sees pediatric endocrinologist Nelly Mauras, MD, as well as Dr. Bryant.
"We are so blessed by the care and follow through we receive," says her mother who appreciates that Thalia is always treated like a normal girl. "That is always reassuring."
