Allen the Lion-Hearted

Until 11/3/2022, we thought Allen was a perfectly healthy but small 8.5-year-old boy. That day, at an allergy checkup, he had high blood pressure. At a pediatric visit the next day, he had high blood pressure, & the pediatrician heard a heart murmur. At the same time, he came down with what we now believe was RSV. He saw cardiology on 11/14.

The cardiologist quickly found that he had congenital heart defects: a bicuspid aortic valve and coarctation of the aorta. He had a CT on 11/16, confirming both conditions as well as revealing a slightly leaky mitral valve. The cardiology team conferred over the 3-D image of his heart the next day, and by late morning, we had a full report from his cardiologist.

He is scheduled for a thoracotomy surgery in Norfolk on December 27 to remove the bad section of aorta and reattach it. Meanwhile, we have to keep him from getting any more respiratory illnesses, or surgery will be delayed.

While we wait for surgery, our best takeaway from the cardiologist so far is that God has big plans for Allen’s life. We couldn’t agree more. God has sustained his life this long, allowing him to be active and normal. He holds our lives in His hands, and we trust Him with our little boy’s life.

A little back story: back at the beginning of October, we found out that our Honda Odyssey’s engine needed to be replaced. While we knew it would be an expensive venture, it was way cheaper than a new or used family vehicle. Thankfully, that engine replacement has happened, and we now have a van that doesn’t sound like a C-130 taking off much less threatening to quit on us.

We now know that a major medical event is in the near, and it requires unpaid time off from self-employment, driving to and from Norfolk a few times, and meals during the inpatient phase (about a week). Given that we’ve depleted our savings and any buffer we might have had replacing the engine, we are now in a position to ask for help with what’s ahead. We are thankful for all assistance that comes our way!