| As written by Kendra Ploutz, Dalton's mother Year one can best be described as a roller coaster ride. After being born and presumed healthy, we were ready to be dismissed from Salina Regional Health Center on January 13, a Sunday afternoon. Our pediatrician at the time, Dr. Alisa Bridge, heard a murmur, causing her concern. To be safe, she wanted us to stay over so that the following morning we could have an echocardiogram done. The results from the echo showed the septum between the two ventricles was missing. However, Dalton's vital signs did not register any sign of distress. After consulting over the phone with Steve Allen, a pediatric cardiologist from Wichita, it was felt best to have Dalton taken and reevaluated there. An ambulance arrived with support crew for neonatal emergencies, and, with Mom in tow, the two began their two-hour drive to Wichita. Riding shotgun in the ambulance,, Mom was unaware that while en route, Dalton’s oxygen saturation levels (SAT) dropped, causing him to be placed on oxygen. The special defect was now registering with his body. Once arriving in Wichita at Wesley Medical Center, Mom waited anxiously while doctors assessed Dalton. Dad was on his way, after a detour home in Kanopolis to pack needed overnight bags. Finally able to see their precious boy, Mom and Dad scrubbed in, surgery style, before being allowed to enter into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. (NICU) The tests that were repeated in Wichita, confirmed what was found in Salina. Surgery was going to be a necessary step. While Dr. Allen could consult as Dalton’s cardiologist, the actual surgery would need to be performed in Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Hospital (CMH). So, the following day, January 15, Dalton and Mom were loaded onto an Eagle Med plane. Also aboard were two pilots, a flight nurse, and a respiratory nurse. Even though the numbers were few, the plane was filled to capacity with Dalton’s stretcher and necessary oxygen tanks taking up the bulk of the plane. Once at CMH, Mom and Dad were in a whirlwind. Tests were repeated and confirmed regarding Dalton’s condition. After meeting with Dr. Rajan, the head of the cardiology department, the actual heart condition had a name: double inlet, double outlet, single ventricle heart with transposition of the greater arteries. While this complex heart defect had many facets to it, the most perilous problem was the single ventricle issue. Dalton would require an initial surgery known as a PA (pulmonary artery) banding. Dr. Gary Lofland, one of the nation’s top pediatric cardiac surgeons, would perform this routine procedure. The need for surgery wasn’t immediate, however, so Dalton was left to wait in the NICU until an opening in the schedule occurred. Feeling helpless and frustrated, all Mom and Dad could do were to wait alongside Dalton. At this point, he was nursing, and wasn’t on any medications, nor was oxygen necessary, though his vitals were closely monitored. Waiting wasn’t prolonged, because a spot opened up on January 17, and Dalton underwent his first surgery. Click here to continue Dalton's story . |
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