“My daughter Madison has just been diagnosed with Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return.  I’m so glad I found your story.  Please keep Madison and our family in your prayers!”

I will.  Nathan had cardiac catheterization at two, and it was determined that his PAPVR needed to be addressed surgically.  A good illustration and explanation of PAPVR can be found on the Cove Point Foundation website.  I hope you will be encouraged to read:  “Recovery from this operation is usually straightforward, requiring a hospital stay of 3 to 4 days.”  Also, note that PAPVR might not be severe enough to require surgery.  Blessings to Madison and your family.

“I’m just 30 weeks pregnant and my baby has been diagnosed with TAPVD/R.   Please pray that the next scan shows that there is nothing abnormal and that it was a misdiagnosis.  We have waited so long for her and can’t even start to believe it.”

I pray that this is a misdiagnosis.  BUT…if it’s not, I pray that God will give you the strength to get through your child’s health crisis.  My Nathan had PAPVR (Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return), so he wasn’t born with a medical emergency that required immediate heart surgery.  TAPVR (the T is for Total) may need attention soon after your daughter is born.

The Cove Point Foundation website has a good description of TAPVR and illustrations that help you to visualize how this will be corrected.  To read more about this condition, click here and follow through sections 1-6.

Blessings to your family.

• Pray that Joshua will make it through.
• Pray that he will come out healthy and strong.
• Ask for others to pray, too.

Sending love and prayers your way!

My daughter Rosabela just turned 4 years old a few days ago.  She went to have a procedure to fix the SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia), and that became unsuccessful.  It was discovered that she has PAPVR (Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return).  We are awaiting final diagnosis. Please pray for her to be healed, and if surgery is needed, then for it to be quick and successful, the rehab is quick, and she is back to normal with her enormous energetic smile and character.

Oh, my sweet Lord.  Can’t you just picture this darling girl?  Yes, yes, yes…praying for your Rosabela.

Broady Doland

Broady Doland will have surgery to correct his congenital heart defect, Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (PAPVR), on May 5, at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.  Like my son, Nathan, Broady has Scimitar Syndrome.

A nice article, “Benefit Aids Vandergrift Boy’s Family,” appeared today in  the Valley News Dispatch.   Family and friends have rallied to support Broady and his family.

Love and prayers to Broady, mom Traci, and the rest of the Doland family.

Nathan watches a Disney video during EKG testing at Children's Hospital in New Orleans.

Annual checkups are an important part of maintaining Nathan’s heart and back health.  Recently, Bryan, daughter Michelle, and I traveled with Nathan to Children’s Hospital in New Orleans to see how his heart looks four years after surgery to correct Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (PAPVR), a problem associated with his scimitar syndrome.

The echocardiogram seems to be a challenge for the technician each year.  His heart is positioned strangely in his chest (dextrocardia), so it takes a little patience to capture the desired images.  It doesn’t help that Nathan is extremely ticklish, especially when the transducer is placed at his neck.

During Nathan’s heart surgery, a baffle (tunnel) was created to redirect oxygenated blood from the right atrium to the correct chamber, the left atrium.  The last time the technician was able to capture an image showing the baffle was a few days after his surgery in 2006.  So it was a pleasant surprise when the cardiologist spotted it and reported that it appears to be unobstructed and working fine!

Nathan poses by a whimsical seahorse painting while he waits for one of his doctors.

In addition to his congenital heart defect, Nathan was born with a hemi-vertebra which was diagnosed as congenital kyphosis three months after his heart surgery.  We visited Nathan’s pediatric orthopedic surgeon on the same day.   I wish I had snapped a photo of the radiographs Dr. King presented to us.  One showed his spinal column right after spinal fusion surgery; a piece of cadaver bone replaced the hemi-vertebra and was easily discerned from his natural vertebrae.  The latest x-ray showed the cadaver-bone vertebra and the two vertebrae directly above and below had transformed into one solid piece, just as it was supposed to do.  There was concern, however, that the fusion was curving about 40 degrees.  If it continues to curve, reaching 50 degrees or more, it may be necessary to place rods in his back.

I hope, I hope, I hope… it will hold.

We pushed that thought out of our minds and went to Copeland’s after our day at Children’s.  We had their fabulous Spinach and Artichoke dip with fried bow-tie noodles for an appetizer (Nathan only eats the noodles).  Bryan had barbeque with cornbread.  Michelle and I had a delicious pecan encrusted fish.  Nathan had his usual–chicken tenders with fries.  Dessert:  Cheesecake Napoleon with praline sauce for us big kids, Big Al’s Chocolate Fudge Cake for Nathan.

Sometimes, you have to look at life’s challenges with the mindset of that famous philosopher, Scarlett O’Hara:  “I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

My daughter just went in on Thursday August 26, 2010 to have the catherization surgery to close her ASD but when they got in they found out that it wasn’t the kind that could be closed that way.  They also found that she had the Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return along with her ASD.  Now we are waiting to schedule open heart surgery to fix both conditions.  She is a very happy 3 year old child.  Please put her and our family on the Prayer List. Thank You and God Bless!

Angie, our family and friends of Nathan’s Prayer will be lifting you up as surgery approaches.  Nathan had this surgery in July of 2006.  Even though his procedure was complicated by his dextrocardia, everything went very well.  An excellent description of PAPVR and the surgery can be found on pted.org.  Notice on page three that recovery is described as “usually straightforward.”  Try to take comfort in those words.  I say try because I know when it’s your own child, this is incredibly frightening.  Love and prayers to your sweet girl!

Darren and Megan write:

Our son will be needing the Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return surgery along with the ASD [atrial septal defect].  His name is Bradford and we are trying to figure out when it’s best to do it. Some doctors say soon, some say wait til he is at least 3.  He is currently 19 months old.  Obviously, we want to do what’s in his best interest.

Please pray for Bradford and that we are guided by God and remain confident and strong in him during these hard times.

Thank you. Your Website has made me confident that Bradford will get through it fine.

Last night, my Nathan asked if we could pray for the children on his website.  I agreed, pulled up the list, and prayed aloud as he bowed his head.  I thought we were finished, but he said, “Okay, now it’s my turn.”  He proceeded to thank God for successfully getting him through “venous return surgery” and asked God to get the other children through, too.  And he repeated my request to comfort the families.  I look forward to hearing his prayer for Bradford tonight.

I am asking for prayers for my daughter Chloe. We found out last month that she has Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return to the Coronary Sinus. She has an MRI coming up and surgery will take place in the next few months. I am scared beyond belief! She was always a healthy child and this was found at a well visit (the doc heard a murmur)! Please pray to guide the doctors and surgeons to correct her heart and a speedy recovery!

I feel your fear, Janielle.  I can remember feeling terrified when my son had cardiac catheterization, a straightforward diagnostic procedure.  I wondered how I was going to hold it together for the actual surgery if I felt this fearful for a less invasive event.  Remember Philippians 4:13.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Nathan regains consciousness after surgery to correct Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (PAPVR), Scimitar Syndrome. This was taken in PICU at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Michigan.

Nathan also had heart surgery to correct PAPVR.  Check out this smiling face while he recovered in PICU.  He is doing fine now and barely remembers anything about our week at the University of Michigan Medical Center.

Stay strong–our prayers are with you!

UPDATE! October 15, 2010:

Hi, I wanted to let you know that Chloe had her Open Heart surgery to correct PAPVR on Oct 12th and it was a huge success! I can’t believe we are home already and she is doing sooo great! Thanks for the prayers as you know they mean so much!  Janielle

Yaaaay!!!  So happy for you!  Prayers for continued recovery!