Newborn’s battle far from over yet

At 24 weeks gestation, Shahn Trevarthen found out her baby would need open heart surgery.

Parents Rhett and Shahn Trevarthen with baby William who was born with a hole in his heart and had open heart surgery at two weeks old. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

AT 24 weeks gestation, Shahn Trevarthen found out her baby would need open heart surgery.

The Townsville mum said she spent the rest of her pregnancy fearing the unknown.

“It was heartbreaking because we just didn’t know what to expect, I was definitely in protective mother mode and the uncertainty messed with our heads a bit,” Mrs Trevarthen said.

With her husband Rhett by her side, Shahn was required to give birth in Brisbane to have specialists on hand for the impending surgery. William Wayne Trevarthen was born on October 10 with a form of congenital heart disease known as pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect.

“We were told I probably wouldn’t be able to hold him but he was doing pretty well so I got a cuddle and it was the best moment,” Mrs Trevarthen said. “Then he was taken to the NICU.”

William was placed on medication to keep the ductus arteriosus open to help with blood flow to the lungs until his surgery to repair the hole in his heart.

Mrs Trevarthen said watching her baby be wheeled into theatre brought her to tears.

“It was the hardest day, no words can describe how difficult it is to see that and not knowing if he’s going to come out of it at the end of it,” she said. “And then to see him with all the cords and machines hanging off him (in recovery), he was unrecognisable.”

Now home in Townsville, Mrs Trevarthen said although William was doing well he’d had to beat a few unexpected complications and had a long road of health issues ahead.

“When they did the operation they found a few extra things they had to correct around the heart and then he had to be put on to a pace because his heart was out of rhythm which was very unexpected because the surgery they did was actually outside the heart,” she said.

“It’s far from over, he’s got to have multiple surgeries throughout his lifespan. There’s no time frame on what they’ve done, it all depends on how quick he grows and tolerates the change, it could be six to 12 months we really don’t know.”

Originally published as Newborn’s battle far from over yet