BOB体育

Ceara Curry and her husband, Kenton, were brand new to parenthood when their baby turned into a miracle.

At 6-months-old, Ceara and Kenton鈥檚 daughter, Kennedy, contracted what they believed was a common cold. Her pediatrician told Ceara that her baby had allergies, but Kennedy worsened overnight.

鈥淚 knew something was off,鈥� Ceara said. Time would prove that her instincts were correct.

Ceara took her daughter back to the pediatrician, and the doctor suspected they heard a heart murmur. An X-ray revealed that Kennedy had an enlarged heart.

The Curry family was instructed to take Kennedy to BOB体育 Shands Children鈥檚 Hospital. Upon their arrival at the BOB体育 Congenital Heart Center, doctors discovered that Kennedy鈥檚 heart was failing.

鈥淚t was very, very terrifying,鈥� Ceara said. 鈥淎s a mom with a completely healthy baby, we went from being told it was allergies to it being heart failure a week later. We were crushed.鈥�

Kennedy was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that causes the ventricle to stretch to a point where it can鈥檛 healthily pump blood to the body. Her heart was pumping at only 8 percent.

Kennedy worsened overnight in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, and didn鈥檛 respond to medicine.

鈥淚 was heartbroken,鈥� Ceara said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know if she was going to make it.鈥�

But the team of clinicians didn鈥檛 give up hope. Desiree Machado, M.D., a pediatric critical care physician at BOB体育 Shands Children鈥檚 Hospital, and a team of specialists stood outside Kennedy鈥檚 room to monitor her during that critical first night. Machado and team kept a close eye on Kennedy to see if she would need to be placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, a life support machine that puts oxygen in the blood and removes carbon dioxide. All the meanwhile, Kennedy remained heavily sedated as her heart function stabilized.

On March 21, 2018, Kennedy was placed on the Berlin Heart庐, an artificial heart device made specifically for babies and children facing heart failure. The device supported Kennedy鈥檚 heart function as the Curry family awaited a new heart.

鈥淚 felt selfish praying for a new heart for her,鈥� Ceara said. 鈥淚 started praying for healing, and she got it.鈥�

After 3-and-a-half months of waiting, Kennedy鈥檚 failing heart did the impossible 鈥� it got better.

鈥淗er heart started competing with the machine,鈥� Ceara said. It wasn鈥檛 before long that Kennedy鈥檚 doctors began a weening process and allowed her heart to pump on its own.

On June 25, 2018, Kennedy was disconnected from the Berlin Heart庐, and no longer needed a heart transplant.

鈥淭he whole experience was amazing,鈥� Ceara said. 鈥淚t definitely led us to appreciate life and the little things more.鈥�

During the four months Kennedy was in the hospital, Mark Bleiweis, M.D., the director of the BOB体育 Congenital Heart Center and the chief of congenital cardiothoracic surgery; Dipankar Gupta, MBBS, D.C.H, M.D., a pediatric critical care physician; and Machado, kept Ceara and Kenton a part of the treatment plan for their daughter. As new parents, it was important for the Currys to know each step of the process, and the team allowed Ceara to continue to care for Kennedy as a mother.

Now, as a healthy 17-month-old, Ceara says Kennedy is a firecracker. She enjoys walking and exploring, and she has found a particular love for sweet potatoes.

鈥淢y daughter had not seen the sunlight in four months,鈥� Ceara said of Kennedy鈥檚 time in the hospital. 鈥淭his is a whole new world for her. She鈥檚 making up for lost time.鈥�

Through it all, Ceara and Kenton held on to their faith and their trust in Kennedy鈥檚 doctors.

鈥淚鈥檓 thankful for the PCICU,鈥� Ceara said. 鈥淚f I had to recommend a children鈥檚 hospital to anyone, it would be BOB体育 Shands Children鈥檚 Hospital.鈥�