This 5-month-old Texas baby received CPR for two hours after his tiny heart stopped beating.
This 5-month-old Texas baby received CPR for two hours after his tiny heart stopped beating.
He almost didn’t make it.
Now, Baby Brian Jr. is on ECMO at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston while his family waits and prays for his heart to begin doing what it desperately needs to do.
Pump.
His very concerned grandmother JoAnna reached out to me asking us to wrap her grandson in what his family calls “a million prayers.”
And when you understand what this little boy has survived in only five months of life, you’ll understand why.
Before Brian was even born, his parents Rhiannon and Brian learned during pregnancy that their son had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or HLHS.
Essentially, the left side of his heart did not develop normally and could not adequately pump oxygen-rich blood to his body.
His mom says doctors gave them two paths.
They could put their son through a series of three surgeries designed to allow the right side of his heart to do the work.
Or they could keep him comfortable after birth until he passed.
“Of course we chose to fight for him.”
And Brian has been fighting ever since.
He underwent a heart procedure the same day he was born.
Two days later, his parents watched their newborn baby being wheeled away for his first open-heart surgery.
His family, originally from Sinton, Texas, relocated to Houston so their little boy could receive the care he needed.
Brian has since undergone his second major heart surgery.
Then came the phone call his parents will never forget.
Around 11:30 Monday night, they were told their baby had gone into cardiac arrest.
A blood clot had formed in his right coronary artery, cutting off blood flow to the right side of his heart.
For Brian, that was especially dangerous because the right side is the primary pumping chamber keeping his body going because of his congenital heart defect.
Doctors performed CPR for two hours.
Two hours trying to bring this 5-month-old baby back.
His family says the team at Texas Children’s fought for his life and was able to place him on partial ECMO before taking him into surgery for full central ECMO, which is temporarily helping support his heart and lungs.
Then doctors took him to the cardiac catheterization lab.
They were able to remove the clot.
Now comes the waiting.
His mom says they’re praying Brian’s heart function returns.
If it doesn’t recover enough, the family hopes he could potentially become a candidate for a heart transplant.
And then there is the possibility no parent or grandparent wants to put into words.
That he doesn’t come out of this.
But his family isn’t giving up on him.
“I know in my mama heart that he will pull through this!”
And his grandmother JoAnna told me something similar.
“My grandson Brian Jr is one of the strongest boys I know! Please continue to pray for him.”
Let’s all give this Sinton family the million prayers they’re asking for.
Pray that Brian’s heart recovers.
Pray that ECMO gives his little body the time it needs to heal.
Pray for wisdom and steady hands for every doctor and nurse caring for him.
And pray for Rhiannon and Brian as they sit beside their baby knowing just how critical the days ahead may be.
JoAnna reached out because she believes in the power of people coming together for her grandson.
Let’s show her we do too.
