Austin Skylar

Pulmonary Stenosis, Single Ventricle

This was Austin at a week old in NICU
before any surgeries

This is Austin right after his
emergency open heart surgery.

This is Austin right a few days after his stroke
and a few days before passing

Me holding Austin, his daddy and Godmother Suzy

Austin was born July 3, 2005 and found a tough battle. After battling a B-T shunt, he endured a catheterization that lasted 5 hours trying to repair the shunt. Then right after they did an emergency open heart surgery. He had gone through so much shock and was so swollen they left his chest open. Thank God for that because a few days later he had a heart attack and his chest was opened and heart pumped by the doctor's fingers.

Once Austin started feedings again he then came down with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). He even beat that. He started to do great, then he suffered from a neurological stroke, got NEC again and even blood clots filled with a fungus. Austin slowly started to decline but was still fighting hard. He started to have delayed vision and thing were failing and coming back.

On August 29, 2005 our son won his battle and went to heaven. He fought harder then any person I ever met. He's my heaven-sent angel.

— Raquel and Mitch, Austin's Parents (Victorville, CA)

This article was last updated on September 18, 2005

Born: July 3, 2005
Diagnosis: After Austin's B-T Shunt they found more then they thought. He not only has Single Ventricle, Pulmonary Stenosis, Common Atrium, and Heterotaxy, Austin also has DORV, Dextrocardia, Situs Inversus, Situs Ambiguous, Pulmonary Stenosis acts like ToF, TGA. His pulmonary arteries are too short and thin, and he has Single Right Ventricle.
Treatment: B-T Shunt, Catheterization, emergency B-T Shunt repair