Young Brothers Thrive after Defying Odds of Extremely Rare Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Young Brothers Thrive after Defying Odds of Extremely Rare Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

3-minute read

Zane and Zeke are happy and thriving today after experiencing impossibly long odds of developing the same congenital heart defect. The exceptional care teams at Children’s Hospital Colorado provided cutting edge expertise and unwavering support for the entire family throughout both boys’ fight to survive.

Maverick’s Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) Journey

Maverick’s Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) Journey

Babies born with Maverick’s heart condition and a restrictive or absent communication between the top two chambers of the heart, are born with abnormal lungs, in addition to the heart defect. In fact, most of these babies do not survive after birth. Maverick underwent creation of an opening in the top two chambers of the heart in fetal life with a stent, to allow him to be stable after birth..

Fetal cardiac interventions at UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center help babies with CHD

Fetal cardiac interventions at UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center help babies with CHD

If untreated, critical aortic stenosis and HLHS can be fatal. By performing this procedure before birth, it can promote improved growth of the left-sided heart structures and lead to fewer surgeries after birth. “These interventions were not possible 20 years ago. I’m proud to provide my expertise at UC Davis Children’s Hospital to help these babies,” said Dr. Ing.