Bristol was born with a heart condition called ALCAPA (Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery). She did not display any signs of her condition from birth, on, other than she was continuously at the bottom of the growth charts. She appeared to be healthy and happy and her condition remained undetected. When she was about one and a half years old she came down with the flu and we made a trip to the ER. While at the ER the doctor ran a chest X-ray and discovered her heart was enlarged. He advised us to have our Pediatrician order an Echocardiogram. During the first Echo the doctor found that her Mitral valve is malformed and leaks. After receiving these results we immediately requested to change her medical group so that she could be seen at Loma Linda. After another year and a half, several Echo’s and finally a heart catheter, her ALCAPA was discovered. She had open heart surgery a month later to correct it, on June 18, 2012. So far the surgery has been successful and she remains her normal healthy, happy and active self. For the time being her valve is being monitored and regulated with medication and hopefully the surgery to replace or repair it will come further down the road.
