Four months!
About Me
- Sasha Bella Forever
- Sasha was born with Alagille Syndrome and pulmonary atresia, serious liver and cardiac defects leaving her ineligible for transplants. Cardiac surgery was risky but without more oxygen to her lungs Sasha would die. Our core SickKids team was the 4D nurses, cardiologist Dr Jennifer Russell, surgeon Dr Glen Van Arsdell, catheterization specialists Dr Lee Benson and Dr Jin-Lee and gastrointerologist Dr Simon Ling. The plan included catheterizations to widen tiny arteries, surgery to install a central shunt at 3 months, more caths and more surgery to partly rebuild her collateral arteries into a pulmonary artery. A blue baby came home after birth and grew into a golden haired 18 month cherub with only short hospital stays. She appeared to thrive; yet as we rebuilt Sasha's heart, her liver weakened. A second surgery resulted in hemorrhage, fever, liver failure, portal hypertension, GI bleeds, and a jejunal fistula to her belly. We accepted Sasha was dying when she required daily blood transfusions. She came home supported by the Temmy Latner Centre, TCCAC nurses and SickKids - we expected 3 days with our peach but she stopped bleeding and lived five precious weeks.