Rebecca Velazquez and her boyfriend, Fernando, had always dreamed of starting a family. Her dream began to take shape in the summer of 2023 when a positive pregnancy test confirmed her suspicion.
I was so excited when I saw the two lines emerge,
said Rebecca. Fernando was excited too. We talked about starting a family and giving our child the stability we didn't have growing up. We were so happy.
Rebecca’s first trimester progressed smoothly overall, with just a bout of nausea around the 12-week mark. Her OB-GYN reassured her that everything was normal. Even when a small white light appeared on the baby's heart during a 26-week ultrasound, Rebecca was told it was typically not a cause for concern—just something that needed to be monitored.
Rebecca and Fernando were hopeful, believing their baby was healthy. However, at 34 weeks, a routine growth scan revealed an enlarged right atrium, prompting a referral to Dr. Lissa Melvin, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at CHRISTUS Children’s. By 35 weeks, an ultrasound detected a rare heart condition.
Dr. Melvin immediately referred Rebecca to Dr. Monesha Gupta, a pediatric cardiologist at CHRISTUS Children’s, for a fetal echocardiogram. The diagnosis was overwhelming: Ebstein’s anomaly with a blocked pulmonary valve, a malformed and leaky tricuspid valve, and a significantly enlarged right atrium.
Dr. Gupta showed me the atrium and explained that blood was leaking backward, causing it to enlarge,
Rebecca recalls. Fernando and I were deeply worried about our baby.
As Rebecca’s due date approached, her blood pressure became a concern. She was admitted to CHRISTUS Children's, where she was closely monitored.
On March 25, 2024, Rebecca and Fernando welcomed their son, Jeremiah, who was delivered via C-section at 38 weeks. Weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces, Jeremiah was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to begin an in-depth evaluation of his heart.
I didn’t really get to see him,
Rebecca recalled. He was shown to me briefly before they sent him to the NICU.
Fortunately, Jeremiah’s ductus arteriosus was still open. The ductus arteriosus is a fetal blood vessel crucial to the development of a fetus. For Jeremiah, it was critical to keep this vessel open, or patent, to help circulate oxygenated blood throughout his body. Immediately after birth, he was placed on a medication called prostaglandins to ensure the patent ductus arteriosus remained open.
The Heart Center at CHRISTUS Children's provides comprehensive care to children with heart problems. Our integrated group of specialists bring together a multidisciplinary approach from many specialties to care for children with heart defects.
When Jeremiah was born, his pulmonary valve was unable to open properly, which caused the right side of his heart to develop poorly. Because his pulmonary valve was closed, blood was forced backward, causing the abnormal tricuspid valve to leak.
Jeremiah’s initial treatment involved attempting to open his pulmonary valve in the catheterization lab, but the procedure was unsuccessful. After several attempts, the pediatric cardiology team, consisting of Dr. Ravi Ashwath, division chief of pediatric cardiology, Dr. Peter Woolman, and Dr. Steven Neish, decided that open-heart surgery was necessary. On April 3, 2024, at 11 days old, Jeremiah underwent a six-hour operation performed by Dr. Victor Bautista-Hernandez, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon.
During Jeremiah's surgery, we first removed excess muscle tissue blocking the right ventricular outflow tract,
Dr. Bautista explained. This cleared the path for blood to flow more easily from the right side of his heart to his lungs. Since Jeremiah’s pulmonary valve was not working as it should, it was challenging for blood to move from his heart to his lungs. We addressed this by placing a transannular monocusp patch, which provided a new, clear route for the blood flow from the heart to the lungs.
Jeremiah’s surgery involved several key steps. Dr. Bautista created a 3.5 mm Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt to provide an alternative route for blood flow to the lungs, aiding Jeremiah’s underdeveloped right ventricle. He then ligated the PDA to redirect blood through the heart’s new pathways. These combined procedures improved Jeremiah’s heart function, paving the way for his recovery and growth.
The next several days following the heart surgery were critical, but Jeremiah showed incredible resilience. His oxygen levels gradually improved, and after 39 days in the hospital, which included admissions to the NICU and pediatric intensive care unit, he was finally able to go home.
His vitals looked good,
Rebecca said. They slowly began weaning him off oxygen. After surgery, his oxygen levels were at 75. As he healed over the weeks, his oxygen gradually increased to 80, and now they are in the high 90s. Thankfully, he didn’t experience any complications after the surgery.
Today, 5-month-old Jeremiah is doing well. His oxygen levels are stable, and his heart has shown significant improvement. He continues to see his cardiologist, Dr. Gupta, for regular follow-ups.
He is a happy baby,
Rebecca shared. He is very observant and only cries when he needs something. His heart warrior scar on his chest is a reminder of his incredible journey and the strength he's shown.
Rebecca and Fernando's faith kept them strong through the challenges, and they are grateful for the exceptional care provided by the doctors and nurses in the NICU and PICU at CHRISTUS Children's.
We kept praying and stayed positive,
Rebecca said. We had to be strong for him. We can’t worry about things we can’t control. We focused on loving and supporting him, trusting that each day would bring us closer to his recovery. Our faith and optimism were our anchors through the toughest times.
Learn more about the Heart Center at CHRISTUS Children’s.
