Palmer Kittson (Evan & Alexa Kittson)

Our friend & coworker Evan Kittson and his wife’s (Alexa) little girl, Palmer, will be having open heart surgery next week.
Palmer was born on December 21, 2019, at Betty Cameron Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, NC. Around 6am the following day, she stopped breathing and was rushed from the observatory area to the NICU. She was there from December 22 until December 31. They realized then that she had what’s known as “coarctation of the aorta”, which means that she has a narrowed segment in her aorta that is restricting blood flow. We didn’t know at the time what this would mean down the road for Palmer.

Evan, Alexa & Palmer will travel to Chapel Hill on Monday, September 21, where Palmer will be admitted as an inpatient for extensive tests and a CT scan to best prepare for the procedure on Wednesday. On September 23, around 8am, she will be in the OR, where they will do reconstructive surgery on her heart. Unfortunately, because of COVID, only one parent will be able to be with Palmer when she is recovering, so Evan and Alexa will have to take turns being with her. From what we know right now, the procedure should be between 2-4 hours. The recovery in the hospital could be anywhere from 3-10 days, depending on how she heals and when she meets the criteria to be discharged.

From Evan & Alexa:

As we are about a week out from surgery, I wanted to share what’s going on with our sweet P. We had a virtual meeting with her surgeon, Dr. Sharma, this afternoon and have some more insight into what to expect in these next couple weeks...

1. Palmer will be going into the OR around 8:30am on Wednesday, September 23 and we will be able to see her around 3pm, if everything goes as planned.
2. Recovery in the hospital will be between 10-14 days and she could potentially come home with a feeding tube due to the stress and strain that this will take on her little body. Dr. Sharma says that it could take her 4-6 weeks to learn how to eat again.
3. The United States mortality rate for her particular surgery is around 3%, which is so encouraging and gives us so much optimism.
4. Evan and I will not be able to be at the hospital at the same time due to COVID (aside from the day of surgery).

This video speaks VOLUMES of our sweet, fierce little fighter. As we are facing one of the most difficult, emotional, stressful experiences in our life, Evan and I truly want to thank each and every one of you for your kindness, your generosity, your comforting words, your thoughts, your prayers and your love during this time. Every single night I thank God for giving us this beautiful child and know that there is a reason that we are facing this adversity. God has given us the strength and courage through each of you. We know that we are armored with the best community of friends and family. You are part of our story and our life and we love every one of you.”

Any donation you can provide will be greatly appreciated to relieve some of the burden of staying in hotel rooms and away from home during this time.  If you have any questions, please reach out.  

Thanks,

Evan’s coworkers & friends- D223