Charlotte Stevenson Going Red For Charlotte

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November 9th we had our ultrasound to find out we were having a girl. We were over the moon! She was extremely stubborn and the tech couldn’t get the pictures she needed so we had to return on Wednesday November 22 for another ultrasound. Baby was still being stubborn. The tech informed us we would probably have to have another. Later that afternoon we got a phone call from my doctors office. She told us that the ultrasound shows possible thickened walls of the heart so we would be sent to see a high risk doctor in Milwaukee, just in case.
 Fast forward to our appointment to Milwaukee. We started with an ultrasound, the doctor told us there was for sure a heart abnormality and it would likely require surgery after birth. The nurse walked us over to the Herma Heart Center in the Children’s Hospital, where we had another ultrasound and met with a pediatric cardiologist. 
Our baby girl Charlotte was diagnosed with Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum. In other words, part of Charlotte’s heart does not pump blood correctly. This defect will not fix itself and Charlotte will require surgery 3 times by the time she is 3. She will have surgery 5-10 days after birth, at 3-5 months old, and right around the time that she is 3. If the surgery at 3 years of age holds the way it’s supposed to she won’t require a heart transplant until she is in her 20s or 30s. Worst case scenario is the heart transplant would have to happen when she is ten or in her teens. 
All of our doctors are very wonderful and they have a plan. Our baby girl will be okay. It will just take time. She will have to spend quite some time in the NICU. We will have to continue our prenatal care in Milwaukee and we will also be delivering in Milwaukee. But as long as she stays in there and no changes show on ultrasounds, she will be born in March like she’s supposed to. 
We just want to thank everyone for all of their support and love that they have sent our way. We know that we will find our way through this dark time with all of our amazing friends and family. ❤️❤️
#goredforcharlotte