This 5-Month-Old Texas Baby Is Fighting for His Life After His Tiny Heart Stopped Beating

Baby Brian Jr. is currently receiving ECMO support at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston while his family waits and prays for his heart to recover.

His grandmother, JoAnna, has reached out asking people to surround her grandson with what their family calls “a million prayers.”

Brian was diagnosed before birth with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a serious congenital heart condition in which the left side of the heart does not develop normally. His parents, Rhiannon and Brian, were told they would need to make difficult decisions about his care. They chose to fight for their son.

Brian underwent a heart procedure on the day he was born and later had his first open-heart surgery. His family relocated from Sinton to Houston so he could receive specialized care. He has since undergone another major heart surgery.

Then came the emergency no parent ever wants to receive.

Around 11:30 Monday night, Brian went into cardiac arrest. His family says a blood clot had blocked blood flow to part of his heart. Doctors performed CPR for approximately two hours before placing him on ECMO, a form of life support that can temporarily help support the heart and lungs. Doctors were also able to remove the clot during a cardiac catheterization procedure.

Now his family is waiting and praying. They are hoping Brian’s heart function will recover enough to continue without additional major intervention. If his heart does not recover sufficiently, his family hopes he may potentially become a candidate for a heart transplant.

Through all of this, his family says they are refusing to give up hope.

His mom said: “I know in my mama heart that he will pull through this!”

And his grandmother shared: “My grandson Brian Jr. is one of the strongest boys I know! Please continue to pray for him.”

Let’s surround this little boy with the prayers his family is asking for.

Source: Family update shared by Baby Brian Jr.’s grandmother, JoAnna, and parents Rhiannon and Brian.