During Lia’s 20-week scan, it was discovered that her little boy, Oscar, had Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF). Lia tells us their story here:
(The photos in this story were taken by and belong to the author, depicting their family’s personal journey.)
I found out I was pregnant when I was 17. During my pregnancy, there were no concerns until my 20-week scan. The sonographers spent a long time focusing on the heart before leaving to get another doctor who told us there was something wrong with our baby’s heart.
We then got referred to a larger hospital where we had another scan, which revealed that our little boy had tetralogy of Fallot (ToF). The doctors there warned us of all the possible risks that our little boy may face, such as struggling to walk and talk. The doctors also offered a termination, which I refused.
I got induced early to monitor how my little boy coped. Oscar was born at 39 weeks and was very blue in appearance. I was allowed a quick cuddle before he got rushed to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). He was one of the larger babies in there, and fortunately, we could go home after two weeks.
At six months old, Oscar had his open heart surgery. The surgery took seven hours, and his recovery over the next two weeks was awful. However, Oscar recovered so quickly and surprised everyone.
Oscar now has annual checks and will require more surgery once he is a little older. Currently, he is a happy, energetic seven year old, and he is doing great! I am so glad the sonographers found his heart condition antenatally. Otherwise, who knows if he would be here with us today?
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