I am supporting the Courage Classic for kids like Russell. Our goal is to give other kids access to the world class care that Russell received from Children’s Hospital of Colorado.
Just days after Russell was born a slight murmur was detected by one of his doctors during a routine checkup. A brief hospital stay to treat jaundice gave us the opportunity to take a closer look at any potential heart conditions.
Doctors quickly realized that there was retrograde flow coming from Russell’s coronary artery as well as a ventricular septal defect at the apex of his heart. The condition was monitored closely for a few months before the team at Children’s Hospital of Colorado decided it would be best to intervene. Doctors would need to re-implant his coronary artery into his aorta and close the VSD simultaneously in order for the surgery to be successful.
We were very nervous going into the procedure because we tried discussing Russell’s condition with many other doctors, but they had not seen anything like his scenario before. The staff at Children’s Hospital of Colorado reassured us that they were not only familiar with Russell’s condition, but had seen a great amount of success from treatment.
Russell received the most incredible care from the team of medical professionals, social workers, support staff, and volunteers from Children’s Hospital of Colorado. He quickly bonded with his care team and was back to smiling and acting like his old self just days after his surgery. Although he may not remember everyone that helped him along the way when he’s older, we certainly will.
Today, Russell is growing and thriving. His surgery was deemed an incredible success. We look forward to watching him grow up, living a very normal, happy, healthy life. We hope that your donations will give many other families the opportunity to receive the same care that Russell did.
