{"id":2991,"date":"2018-02-28T15:27:13","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T15:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=2991"},"modified":"2018-02-22T15:52:48","modified_gmt":"2018-02-22T15:52:48","slug":"congenital-heart-patient-finds-care-for-lifetime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/congenital-heart-patient-finds-care-for-lifetime\/","title":{"rendered":"Congenital heart patient finds care for a lifetime"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"April

April and her daughter, Lexi<\/p><\/div>\n

Imagine being told your baby has a half-dollar-size hole in her heart. That\u2019s exactly what David and Judy Hall were told about their daughter, April.<\/p>\n

April Cooper, of Manito, Illinois, was born in Paducah, Kentucky, on July 16, 1981. She was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called atrial septal defect<\/a> (ASD) \u2013 a condition where a hole lies in the septum that divides the upper chambers of the heart. Though ASD is one of the most common congenital heart defects, the size of April\u2019s hole was large.<\/p>\n

If the holes are small enough, they can usually heal on their own. But with larger holes like April\u2019s, they require surgical procedures \u2013 which April would eventually need.<\/p>\n

At birth, April was breathing well and had no life-threatening symptoms due to the ASD, so the doctors referred April to a pediatric cardiologist.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy cardiologist determined I would need surgery, but wanted me to grow as much as possible before doing that,\u201d April said.<\/p>\n

Missing out<\/h2>\n

As a young girl, April remembers not being able to be as active as other children her age.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a younger sister, and I remember I couldn\u2019t keep up with her as far as physical activity goes,\u201d April said. \u201cI would experience shortness of breath, and my body wouldn\u2019t allow me to keep up. I had to take it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though April experienced shortness of breath with activity, she didn\u2019t need to take any medication for her ASD. It was a waiting game to get the surgery she needed to repair her heart.<\/p>\n

A forever keepsake<\/h2>\n

\"AFinally, on June 2, 1986, at 4 years old, April\u2019s cardiologist concluded that she was physically ready for her surgery that would take place at Norton Children\u2019s Hospital in Louisville.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the morning of my surgery, my dad and I went to a beautiful Catholic church across the street from the hospital to pray,\u201d April said. \u201cHe was understandably emotional, and I remember telling him \u2018Daddy \u2013 everything is going to be OK. I\u2019m going to live.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctors took a piece of muscle from another part of April\u2019s body along with surgical mesh to mend the hole in her heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still have the teddy bear the hospital gave me, and it\u2019s wearing a hospital gown with a zipper,\u201d April said. \u201cWhen you unzip it, the bear has a heart with stiches through it. It\u2019s a special piece of that day I\u2019ll have forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

After her surgery, April was able to lead a normal childhood. She played softball, but always knew her limits.<\/p>\n

April continues to see a cardiologist on an annual basis. Over the last year, she has been experiencing variations in her pulse and is now on medication to help control it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first generation where congenital heart patients are living longer lives,\u201d April said. \u201cWe really have to be diligent in continuing to receive heart care throughout our lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n

April and her 10-year-old daughter, Lexi, recently moved to central Illinois. April is going to continue her heart care at the Congenital Heart Center at OSF HealthCare Children\u2019s Hospital of Illinois<\/a> where there is a dedicated adult congenital heart program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf something doesn\u2019t feel right, you need to be your own advocate,\u201d April said. \u201cAs congenital heart patients, we don\u2019t always have \u2018normal\u2019 symptoms. So you have to know what feels right for you and what doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine being told your baby has a half-dollar-size hole in her heart. That\u2019s exactly what David and Judy Hall were told about their daughter, April. April Cooper, of Manito, Illinois, was born in Paducah, Kentucky, on July 16, 1981. She was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called atrial septal defect (ASD) \u2013 a condition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":2994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[105,223],"tags":[700,142],"coauthors":[690],"class_list":["post-2991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardiovascular","category-patient-story","tag-congenital-heart","tag-childrens-hospital-of-illinois"],"yoast_head":"\nCongenital heart defect patient finds care for a lifetime<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"April had surgery at 4 years old for a congenital heart defect. 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