After Troy was born, he was struggling to breathe. His mother Holli alerted the labor and delivery nurses, and they responded by checking his pulse, noticing that it was abnormal.
Holli’s life was turned upside down when she was told that Troy had to be transferred out of state from Cape May, NJ to Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware to get the care that he would need. He was born with an interrupted aortic arch, a rare congenital heart defect that happens when the aorta doesn’t form completely.
At just 6 days old, and due to his small size, Troy had a procedure to place bands around his pulmonary arteries and a stent the ductus arteriosus, to control the excessive amount of blood going to his lungs and to provide circulation to the lower body, performed by pediatric cardiac surgeon, Dr. Christian Pizarro. Then, at 6 months old, Dr. Pizarro surgically repaired the interrupted aortic arch.
“All of the doctors and nurses were amazing! They took excellent care of Troy and were very compassionate,” said Holli.
After Troy’s second surgery, he had a stroke. But today he is 4 years old and thriving.
“Troy is a warrior. Right now, we are taking it one day at a time,” said Holli. “It may feel like the world is crumbling down on your shoulders but keep your head up. The Nemours Children’s Cardiac team is amazing, and they will do everything they can to help.”
