We found out about Nicole's HLHS during a sonagram at 20 weeks genstation. We had alot of thinking to do and one was NOT to terminate the pregnacy. The doctors gave her a 10% chance of surviving, then two weeks before she was born they saw that her arteries were transposed and that gave her a better chance of surviving. Three days old she had the Norward prodedure done or the shunt. We were able to take her home two weeks later. She was doing great until at four months her valves seemed to be clogged when they did a cardiac cath, so the doctors decided to do a balloon knife procedure. During the procedure they punctured her heart and she was considered dead for 15minutes. Thankfully she survived. At around 8months she had the second operation with no problems then when she turned two she had the final procedure done with only one complication, a urinary tract infection. Nicole is now a very active 4yr. old going to preschool and doing all the things she loves to do. She cheers with her sister Michele, soccer with sister Raychele, but her favorite sport is basketball. She shoots fairly well. She can ride a bike though she had one leg bigger then the other. Not longer just bigger, which looks like the normal leg. She sings and reads lots of books. Nobody even suppects she has a problem. The only medication she is taking at this time is one aspirin a day. She has gone to the dentist and loves it, but she hates taking theantibiotics. It is tough trying to give her any medicine when she isn't feeling well. Like what her name means she is a survivor. Wednesday November 26, one day before Thanksgiving she has to go to Kings Daughters in Viriginia to have a Cardiac Cath done. Her stats are just alittle lower then what the doctors want it to be.

I forgot to mention who her docotrs were in Texas. They were Dr. Mark Hoyer and Dr. John Calhoon. I am so grateful to them. We moved to Virginia June 1996 for miltiary reasons.

If anyone needs somebody to talk to they can e-mail me anytime. Sorry, but I can go on and on, I like to talk. But I will end this now.

Thankyou!

Mr and Mrs McDaniels