Our daughter Aleesha Jo Brophy was born on 12/11/04 at 38 weeks with Pulmonary Atresia, Intact Ventricular Septum, Atrial Septal Defect and Moderate Right
Ventricle Hypoplasia resulting in Open Heart surgery on day five(5) of her life. The surgery entailed a Central Shunt Gortex 3.5mm, Pulmonary Artery to Aorta, Transamular Patch Augmentation, Pulmonary Artery, Pulmonary Valvuloplasty, Patent Ductus Ligation.
Aleesha suffered major ongoing cardiac problems and feeding difficulties as a result from her CHD.
Cardiac wise Aleesha requires medications to be administrated twice daily to prevent her from going into failure. Aleesha would have required more surgery around 1 year old.
Aleesha’s feeding difficulties required her to receive all fluids via a
Nasal gastric tube.
She was unable to suck a bottle for some reason. Some of her doctors would say it was due to her CHD and others would disagree. Aleesha would get tied and did not have the energy to feed. She would sweat while trying to have a bottle. Aleesha also vomited allot so she was not gaining the weight she needed to so the feeding tube was the only option. We were taught by Doctors and Nurse to insert the feeding tubes. Aleesha also was on a feeding pump for 12 hours at night to try and help her gain weight.
It has been 4 months since our world as we were living it was devastated. Aleesha was 6mths and 12days old when she passed away from CHD complications. We are not sure if we will ever fully understand why she was taken from us, so young, so loved, SO SOON. We do know that her death had shaped a huge part of who we are now and forever. In dying, she has taught us that life is for living. Dealing with loosing her, has given us strength and courage that we never knew existed in us. It has gently given us the shove that we needed to believe in ourselves and appreciate everyone and everything we achieve as individuals or as a couple. Aleesha’s death wounded us like nothing I have ever known before, but the pain is going to inspire us for the rest of our lives. There will never be a day that passes when we will not think of her. Loosing Aleesha has tested our limits, made us realise our potential, our strengths, our will power and our heart.
Written by Chris & Shelley Brophy |
