The baby girl of their dreams — then a diagnosis they never dreamed of

When Grayson entered the world in November 2005, her parents, Peder and Jamie, were thrilled beyond words. Just three days later, their joy gave way to overwhelming fear as they learned their newborn might not be the perfect baby they were expecting.

A troubling — but easily corrected — condition

“Grayson was everything we wanted — ten fingers, ten toes, a beautiful little button nose,” recalls Jaime. The morning following her birth, however, Swedish pediatricians discovered a blockage in the infant’s lower abdomen. While not life-threatening, the blockage required urgent attention and Grayson was scheduled for surgery two days later.

To make certain the tiny patient remained as healthy as possible before the procedure, Grayson was wheeled up to Swedish’s neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, where she was under the constant, watchful eyes of the expert staff.

A successful surgery, and all was temporarily well

All went as expected with Grayson’s procedure, performed by a Swedish pediatric surgeon. She stayed in the NICU the night following her surgery so the medical staff could closely monitor her recovery. The fact that she was recovering in the NICU — with immediate access to Swedish’s pediatric specialists — turned out to be the difference between a healthy baby and an unthinkable alternative.

A new, much more serious diagnosis

When Jaime returned to the NICU the following morning to prepare Grayson for her journey home, her own heart began pounding as she spotted a crowd of doctors gathered around her daughter’s bassinet. A post-surgery exam revealed a slight heart murmur, so a heart specialist for children, or a pediatric cardiologist, was summoned to examine Grayson.

Dr. Peter Hesslein, pediatric cardiologist, performed an echocardiogram, a type of ultrasound for the heart. He then discovered that Grayson had coarctation of the aorta, a condition in which the main artery of the body is narrowed or pinched off.

A very good place to learn some very bad news

“The aorta carries blood from the heart to the vessels that supply the body with blood and nutrients,” explains Dr. Hesslein. “It extends from the heart, provides branches to the head and arms, then turns around in the direction of the legs and belly.

“In Grayson’s case, the point at which her aorta turned was narrowed. That created a bottleneck, so blood was not flowing properly to her lower extremities. Left untreated, her condition could have been catastrophic.

“We were so fortunate that Grayson was here at Swedish when her condition was discovered, and the NICU team knew what to listen for. Had she gone home, she likely would have become very sick and returned to the hospital in critical condition.”

A tiny heart in need of repair

Grayson’s condition required immediate attention, so for the second time in her very young life, she was prepared for surgery. The first step was to put her on a stabilizing medication for a few days to keep her blood flowing and help her regain as much strength as possible.

At the same time, Swedish called upon its pediatric cardiovascular surgeon to repair Grayson’s aorta. Then, at the tender age of six days, the baby girl was wheeled once again to the operating room.

Another successful surgery gives new life to Grayson

With the unparalleled skill and deftness of those who operate on the tiniest, most fragile hearts, Grayson’s surgeon removed the narrowed section of her aorta and sewed the two wider ends together.

After the two-hour-long surgery, which understandably seemed an eternity to her parents, Grayson was wheeled into the pediatric intensive care unit for five days of recovery. Never were a new mom and dad so full of joy and relief to be reunited with their daughter.

“We had absolutely every confidence in the pediatric specialists here at Swedish,” remembers Jaime. “They patiently explained everything to us. Still, it’s so frightening to imagine doctors operating on your teeny-tiny, eight-pound baby with her four-millimeter aorta. But the surgeon knew exactly what he was doing, worked with the greatest precision, and he gave us back our baby girl.”

A very happy beginning

In the days that followed, the joy that Jaime and Michael felt at Grayson’s birth began to return as they watched their daughter grow stronger — almost before their eyes. “It’s just amazing how quickly she became healthy again,” exclaims Jaime. “She was alert and ready to nurse again in no time. When the doctor told us we’d be checking out in only five days, I could hardly imagine that Grayson would be well enough, or that we’d feel ready to take this baby home after major life-saving surgery. But sure enough, five days later, we were all ready to start our new lives together at home.”

Checking up with the doctor

Today Grayson is very much alive, and she makes certain home is a busy, lively place. She is happy, healthy and, as her sometimes-exhausted parents can attest, full of spunk and energy. She loves to finger-paint, dress up like a fairy princess and speed downhill on a tot-size pair of snow skis. She has even decided that baby sister Piper might be a fun playmate someday.

Since her birth, Grayson has checked in with her cardiologist, Dr. Hesslein, every six months. And she received such a clean bill of health at her recent three-year check-up that he told them to come back again when Grayson is four. Dr. Hesslein fully expects Grayson to live a normal lifespan, filled with everything she loves to do.

A silver lining to last a lifetime

Even three years later, not a day passes that Jaime and Peder aren’t incredibly thankful for their miracle baby. “Illness has never been a part of my life, and I was not prepared for it in any way, shape or form,” states Jaime.

“To this day I’m amazed that everything was lined up for our baby to live. Grayson was in the right place, attached to the right machines, with the best doctors right there, ready to do whatever was needed to keep her alive.

“I don’t know why Grayson was born with a heart condition,” reflects Jaime. “Sometimes I think the reason was just so I could learn to love that much — so my heart could open that wide. Having an ill baby just opens up your heart all the way.”

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• Swedish Medical Center
• Seattle, Washington