Born in Tunisia, Africa, Maram Chaabane started consistently getting sick around 3 years old. Every doctor told Maram\u2019s parents that she had the flu \u2013 even in the middle of the summer. The doctors would prescribe antibiotics, but nothing seemed to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, a family doctor mentioned my heart and told my parents to take me to a cardiologist,\u201d Maram said.<\/p>\n
After an examination from a local cardiologist in Tunisia, the doctor concluded Maram had ventricular septal defect<\/a> \u2013 a congenital heart defect Maram was born with \u2013 and would require open heart surgery.<\/p>\n After her surgery in France, Maram continued to follow up with her cardiologist on an annual basis.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was about 8 years old, the cardiologist told my family and me that I wouldn\u2019t need to see him anymore,\u201d Maram said. \u201cHe informed us my heart was healthy, and I could lead a normal life.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Maram that wouldn\u2019t be the case. Some 25 years later, she would find out that her heart was anything but healthy.<\/p>\n In 2009, Maram and her husband, Francois, were expecting their first child.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as I found out I was pregnant, I immediately went to see a cardiologist,\u201d Maram said. \u201cI wanted to make sure everything was going to be OK carrying a baby with my heart history. The cardiologist assured me it would be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Maram\u2019s pregnancy was difficult \u2013 she was tired, had swelling issues and felt like she was going to pass out often. But she blamed it on normal pregnancy side effects \u2013 not thinking it was anything to do with her heart.<\/p>\n To be safe, the cardiologist preformed an echocardiogram \u2013 a sonogram of the heart. The results? According to the cardiologist, Maram\u2019s heart looked great.<\/p>\n On August 6, 2009, Maram\u2019s son was born. But it wasn\u2019t the experience Maram was hoping for.<\/p>\n \u201cI honestly don\u2019t remember much about the delivery,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t even hold my baby because I was so tired and exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n One year later, Maram and her family moved to Peru, Illinois, so she could help take care of her sick father.<\/p>\n In 2015, Maram was expecting her second child. As with her first pregnancy, Maram needed another echocardiogram to check the status of her heart. She went to OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center<\/a> in Ottawa, Illinois, to get the test done.<\/p>\n Like most of Maram\u2019s echocardiograms in the past, she was expecting the appointment to go well. But she would soon realize this appointment would change her life forever.<\/p>\n \u201cThe radiology tech kept going in and out of the room as she was doing my echocardiogram,\u201d Maram said. \u201cAt that point, I knew something wasn\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n The radiology technician asked Maram if she could send the echocardiogram results to an OSF HealthCare doctor, and they would call her later that day.<\/p>\n Two hours later, Maram received a phone call from the Congenital Heart Center<\/a> at OSF HealthCare Children\u2019s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria asking her to come to an appointment the next morning.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember being scared when I called my mom and sister saying it\u2019s probably something serious and could change everything,\u201d Maram said.<\/p>\n Maram was right.<\/p>\n The couple arrived to the appointment where they met Dr. Marc Knepp<\/a> \u2013 adult congenital heart physician.<\/p>\n Dr. Knepp informed Maram that she was indeed born with a congenital heart defect, and it would be something she would need continuous care for the rest of her life. He also said her pulmonary valve would need to be replaced after her son was born.<\/p>\n \u201cI told Dr. Knepp, \u2018Yes, I know I was born with it, but it was fixed a long time ago,\u2019\u201d Maram said. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize I would live with the problem my whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n Maram\u2019s pregnancy was considered high risk with her heart condition. Dr. Knepp and maternal-fetal physician, Dr. Michael Leonardi, would monitor her closely throughout the duration of her pregnancy.<\/p>\n Dr. Knepp put Maram on a medication, which helped with her energy levels.<\/p>\n \u201cMy second pregnancy compared to my first was like night and day,\u201d Maram said. \u201cI had so much more energy. I think most of the side effects from my first pregnancy were because of my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n Maram also appreciated Dr. Knepp\u2019s responsiveness to her.<\/p>\n \u201cI would call the Congenital Heart Center frequently with questions or concerns,\u201d Maram said. \u201cDr. Knepp himself would call me back quickly. I knew that if something happened, I would have someone to take good care of me.\u201d<\/p>\n At 37 weeks pregnant, Maram woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn\u2019t breathe. Maram\u2019s husband drove her to their community hospital in Peru.<\/p>\n Immediately, an OSF Life Flight<\/a> helicopter came to pick Maram up to take her to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center<\/a> in Peoria to deliver her son.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll never forget as we were coming into Saint Francis, it was raining and there was a team of people waiting on the helicopter pad,\u201d Maram said. \u201cThey were all waiting for me. I couldn\u2019t believe it. It was like a scene out of a movie.\u201d<\/p>\n The team rushed Maram to the operating room where they were able to deliver a healthy baby boy with a healthy mom.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt safe when I saw all these faces I had been seeing over the last several months who had cared for me and my baby,\u201d Maram said. \u201cEach person knew exactly what they needed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n On November 10, 2015, four months after giving birth, Maram was finally ready to have the open heart surgery she needed for years. The six-hour surgery was performed at OSF Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a> by Dr. Mark Plunkett<\/a>, congenital heart surgeon.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Knepp said I would have a lot more energy after surgery, and I didn\u2019t believe him,\u201d Maram said. \u201cBut he was right \u2013 I felt so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n Maram\u2019s advice to others who have had heart issues as a child was clear \u2013 go to a congenital heart specialist.<\/p>\n \u201cCongenital heart specialists know what to look for when it comes to our specific condition,\u201d Maram said. \u201cOSF HealthCare was able to provide the expertise for all of my care throughout my pregnancy and heart surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Born in Tunisia, Africa, Maram Chaabane started consistently getting sick around 3 years old. Every doctor told Maram\u2019s parents that she had the flu \u2013 even in the middle of the summer. The doctors would prescribe antibiotics, but nothing seemed to help. \u201cFinally, a family doctor mentioned my heart and told my parents to take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":2952,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[118,105,116,223],"tags":[700,142],"coauthors":[690],"class_list":["post-2950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birthing-center","category-cardiovascular","category-pediatrics","category-patient-story","tag-congenital-heart","tag-childrens-hospital-of-illinois"],"yoast_head":"\nA difficult nine months<\/h2>\n
The right care<\/h2>\n
A life-changing discovery<\/h2>\n
A smoother delivery<\/h2>\n
Congenital heart specialist<\/h2>\n