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He's An 'ordinary-looking' Boy But Family Know What's In His Chest
A mum said her son is "full of love" after being born with a complex heart condition.
Lizz Blackhurst's youngest child, Tobias, has been on a "whirlwind journey" for the last 24 months. Tobias looks like an "ordinary-looking boy to strangers" but what many don't know by his appearance is that he was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
The condition means only one side of the two-year-old's heart works in the way it should because the other half hasn't developed properly and is much smaller than usual. Being single ventricle means Tobias' heart has to "work twice as hard" compared to the average child his age.
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Lizz, a mum of two from Kirkby, told the ECHO: "Although he was born with a half a heart, he does nothing half-heartedly. He's absolutely crazy and full of life now, always on the go and loves the attention.
"When Tobias is excited or has been playing and running, he becomes very tired and turns blue. He has to calm down until his body gets caught up. It's hard because to a stranger he looks like an ordinary boy but to us, we know what lies in his chest is really complex and requires more surgeries in the future."
Tobias was born two weeks early through an elective c-section and because of this, he was receiving 24-hour checks to ensure he was healthy. However, just over 24 hours after being born, Tobias' oxygen levels plummeted to 44% and he was rushed to Resus to be intubated. A few hours had passed when Tobias was transferred from Ormskirk Hospital to Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
Tobias Blackhurst has Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a fairly rare congenital heart disorder (Image: Lizz Blackhurst)Lizz, 32, said: "I was breastfeeding him and when I was, he didn't feed as much as I was expecting him to. When he was feeding he was falling asleep for long periods of time so I asked for some help.
"We thought he was just a sleepy newborn but a midwife nurse heard a murmur - an extra noise heard when the heart is listened to with a stethoscope - and he discoloured quickly and went really blue. It was all just mad, it was a whirlwind. It's like your world just stops turning and you never imagine something like that to happen to you."
HLHS is a fairly rare congenital heart disorder that occurs in 1 in 4,000 babies. It accounts for only 1% of all congenital heart defects and there is no known cause for the condition. In some cases it is treatable, but never curable.
During Tobias' time in the ICU and on a ward, Lizz, her husband Steven, 39 and their daughter, Eli-Vieve, five, were offered a room in Ronald McDonald's Alder Hey house. The UK-based charity provides vital support to thousands of families at each of its 14 locations, by allowing families to be by their child's bedside in a matter of moments, whilst maintaining a degree of normality during very difficult times.
Tobias Blackhurst has Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a fairly rare congenital heart disorder (Image: Lizz Blackhurst)Lizz added: "You know the Ronald McDonald house is there but you never think you would need it. It was a home away from home and to have Eli-Vieve so close by was like our therapy, putting a smile on our faces and helping us to keep going. Before Tobias came along, I'd never left my first daughter, Eli-Vieve, and I don't know how she would have reacted."
Since leaving Alder Hey, Tobias has undergone three surgeries to help with his condition. In January of this year, the family were given the green light to go on their first holiday as a four. Previously Tobias was too ill to travel in a plane with the air pressure dropping, now with his saturation levels in the 80s, the family are jetting off to Spain.
Tobias has now settled into a new toddler group at Claire House Children's Hospice. He loves the music and dance sessions and enjoys a swim in the hydro-pool - which is warmer for him than a normal pool - at the Wirral-based venue.
Kate Boswell, Claire House nursing associate, said: "One of the first times we met Tobias he was very unwell and in intensive care. We were able to start building a relationship with Tobias and mum Lizz during this time. We were able to take mementoes and do some nice things during an uncertain time for the family.
"Once Tobias had recovered, he started to attend our baby group and it was clear how much love he brings to his family. And how much he's loved."
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Right Vs Left Heart Failure: Expert Explains These Heart Failure And Lists Treatment Therapies
Did you know heart failure, the condition in which the heart is weakened and struggles to efficiently pump blood, can occur in the left, right, or both sides of your heart? In such instances, tissues across the body experience deprivation of vital oxygen and nutrients. We spoke to our expert, Dr MS Aditya, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, who explained right and left heart failure and listed the treatment therapies.
"The circulatory system in the human body serves to supply nutrients and oxygen to tissues and drain metabolites and carbon dioxide. Both arterial and venous systems are connected to the heart, with the right heart handling the venous system", said Dr Aditya.
Right Heart FunctionThe right side of the heart collects blood from the venous system, pumping it to the pulmonary artery for oxygenation in the lungs. Oxygenated blood returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins, entering the left atrium and proceeding through the left ventricle into the arterial system.
"The right heart refers to the right-sided part of the heart which is connected to the venous system (network of blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart). The blood is collected in the right atrium, from where it goes to the right ventricle and gets pumped to the pulmonary artery, which carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs", said Dr Aditya.
This blood is oxygenated and travels back to the heart through the pulmonary veins, which are connected to the left atrium. From here, the blood goes to the left ventricle and is pumped into the arterial system through the aorta.
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Heart Failure Overview"Failure of the heart to accomplish this circulatory need is referred to as heart failure. While in most cases, injury to the heart involves both the right and the left heart simultaneously. Sometimes it can occur in isolation", added Dr Aditya.
The left ventricle, which is the most powerful chamber of the circulation, is vulnerable to injury from a variety of causes, such as ischaemia, resulting from blockage to blood vessels, injury of muscle due to toxin, alcohol, viral infections, etc.
What Is Right Heart FailureRight heart failure is increasingly being detected these days due to better recognition and understanding of heart disease. Dr Aditya said, "The most common causes of failure are lung diseases and left ventricular dysfunction (back pressure effects from the pooling of blood in the lungs as the left heart is unable to keep up blood flow). Right heart failure presents with oedema over the body, abdominal distension and fatigue."
On the other hand, left heart failure manifests as difficulty breathing during exertion and while lying down, along with reduced exercise capacity.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), In cases of left-sided or left-ventricular heart failure, the left side of the heart exerts greater effort to pump the same volume of blood. The heart's ability to pump blood with each contraction is quantified using a metric known as Ejection Fraction (EF). A healthy left ventricle typically ejects approximately 55-60% of its blood volume.
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Tailored TherapiesIdentification of the pattern of failure helps to better tailor our therapies for heart failure. Dr Aditya listed some treatment therapies as follows:
Dr Aditya concluded, "Recognising heart failure symptoms and analysing contributing factors are vital for prompt corrective action. Early intervention and tailored therapies can improve outcomes for both right and left heart failure."
[Disclaimer: This article contains information provided by an expert and is for informational purposes only. Hence, we advise you to consult your expert if you notice any heart issues for effective medical treatment.]
Broken Heart Syndrome
Broken heart syndrome is a condition with symptoms that may feel like a heart attack, like chest pain and shortness of breath. It can happen after you go through a very stressful physical or emotional event, such as a stroke or the death of someone you love. Your doctor may call this stress-induced cardiomyopathy.
Broken heart syndrome symptoms are similar to those of a heart attack. If have pain in your chest, you should seek immediate medical attention. (Photo credit: LaylaBird)
During a stressful event, your body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline. High amounts of adrenaline can cause the arteries that bring blood to your heart to get smaller, which lowers blood flow to your heart. Adrenaline can also bind to heart cells. When this happens, large amounts of calcium can enter your heart cells and make it harder for your heart to beat normally.
The most common signs are chest pain and shortness of breath. You may feel like you are having a heart attack. If you feel that way, call 911.
You may also have:
Usually, symptoms start anywhere up to a few hours after you've had stress or a shock.
Broken heart syndrome can be triggered by stressful emotional events, whether good or bad, such as:
It can also be triggered by physical stress, such as:
It's rare, but some medicines can also cause broken heart syndrome, such as:
You have a higher risk of broken heart syndrome if you:
There are several tests your doctor might do to find out if you have broken heart syndrome. They use many of these to rule out a heart attack.
Physical exam and history. Your doctor will examine you and ask about your symptoms. They'll want to know about any major events or stress you've had lately.
Electrocardiogram (EKG). Your doctor will do one of these to look for any problems with your heart's rhythm and structure. The results will let them know if your symptoms are from a heart attack.
Blood tests. It's common to have higher blood levels of cardiac enzymes when you have broken heart syndrome.
Coronary angiogram. This test looks for blockages in your heart. People with heart attacks usually have them. Folks with broken heart symptoms typically don't.
Echocardiogram. This test shows your doctor if you have an enlarged heart or if your heart has an abnormal shape while it pumps, which can be signs of broken heart syndrome.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This test gives your doctor detailed images of your heart structure and function to further help them diagnose your condition.
Broken heart syndrome vs. Heart attack
They may feel the same, but they're different. Heart attacks are caused by blockages of waxy buildup within the arteries leading to your heart. With broken heart syndrome, there aren't any blockages; the heart just doesn't pump blood as well as it should, which causes heart attack-like symptoms.
While your doctor makes a diagnosis, you'll have the same treatment as if you had a heart attack. You'll probably need to stay in the hospital for a while.
When your doctor is sure that you have broken heart syndrome, they may give you medicines to help ease the strain on your heart and prevent it from happening again. These include:
On rare occasions, people die from broken heart syndrome, but most people recover fully without any long-term effects. But it's possible to have complications, such as:
There's no way to prevent broken heart syndrome. But reducing your stress levels and learning how to cope with problems can reduce your risk.
Practicing these relaxation techniques can help:
Getting therapy and joining a support group can also help you deal with your emotions.
Taking care of your overall health is another way to help you manage physical and emotional stress:
Most people recover in a few weeks. Some people feel fatigued for a while afterward, which could make you feel depressed. You should talk to your doctor if this happens.
Can you die from broken heart syndrome?
It's very rare, but death is possible in up to 8% of cases. Most people make a full recovery.
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