Hi! We are Fred, Eileen, Geoff (15) and Valerie (10). Geoff has asked me, mom, to share his story. He was born November 15, 1985 which was his exact due date. No complications during pregnancy. He did decide to come into the world as a breech baby, however, and was born by emergency C-section. Still, at this point, all was okay....until 4 hours later when I asked the nurse if I could see him...She said I could not...His Apgar scores were bad they and and he was very blue.

He was quickly transported to Children's Hospital in Denver. I could not go with him since I had just had major surgery myself. Painful memories of saying goodbye, reaching thru a hole in an incubator! Fred, his dad, went ahead and he arrived before the ambulance. Geoff was 2 days old when he had his coarctation repaired, but was way too tiny for reconstructive surgery. So we held our breath to see how long he would be all right.

At nine months of age, doctor decided he needed a Blalock shunt. He was terrific for 3 more years! Then we had to make this horrific decision of when Geoff was at his HEALTHIEST to undergo corrective surgery. I always explain it to people this way...It’s like looking at a lit light bulb and your task is to unscrew it the *second* before it is to burn out! It was tough, because, as you know, I was enjoying him just the way he was and it was a big risk.

He was 4 and entered the hospital 4 days after his birthday in Nov. of '89. Gore-Tex patching and correction was performed using a homograft, but he started to crash 10 days later because of leakage past the Gore-Tex. They went in again (after another cath of course) and repeated what they had just done. But Geoff's organs were failing. He was also on dialysis for a time. Then 10 days later AGAIN the doctors were not optimistic because he was not recovering, remaining unconscious since the 3rd operation, and we were asked the ultimate question...."Please consider organ donation."

We said our goodbyes to our son, as doctors decided to try something different...something new that was rare and they had never performed before! They detached his aorta because the Gore-Tex patch was leaking. They were amazed that he pulled through!

Geoff was in ICU for 52 days. Thanksgiving, Christmas, our anniversary and New Year's, all spent in ICU. He came home on Lanoxin, Vasotec, Lasix, and a myriad of others. He was fluid restricted for soooo long.

Geoff is now a freshman in High School. Just this summer, July 2000, he had his 6th heart surgery. He received a pulmonary homograft replacement and amazingly came home in just 5 days!! He is currently on Accupril, his only med.

Thank God Valerie still has her big brother around to pick on her! We are a lucky family and Geoff is a pioneer of sorts. Since the doctors were successful, they have gone on to perform this same procedure (as yet, unnamed) on others, much younger than he was. He is very active and loves sports, especially hunting and bowling. And Geoff's own words..."I am finally happy to know that there are other kids I can meet through this group!" Thanks for listening and God bless all of you. Eileen