YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community


Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers.

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member!

Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us.

Go Back   YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community > All Else > Off Topic Discussions
Register Blogs FAQ Calendar JavaChat Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 06-28-2008, 11:36 PM   #1
No Longer a Member
 
Gizmo's Mom's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,490
Blog Entries: 7
Post Story on Nathan in local paper..

6-year-old might need a new heart if treatment doesn't work
By: BLAIR DEDRICK ORTMANN, The Enterprise
06/29/2008
Updated 06/28/2008 11:20:11 PM CDT
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly



Photo provided by Ashley Hester

Nathan Powell didn’t attend his kindergarten graduation ceremony at Langham Elementary School in Nederland. He was hospitalized by a heart problem.
A trip to the emergency room with a stomach virus turned into a month-long stay after 6-year-old Nathan Powell was diagnosed with an enlarged heart.
Friday, he was in surgery for a pacemaker-like device called an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator to help his heart.

If the combination of medicine and medical device doesn't work, his doctor said the next step for Nathan might be a new heart.

Nathan's heart troubles were identified when a stomach virus landed him in the hospital June 1, and a doctor realized his heart was beating faster than it should.

The results of an EKG were abnormal, and an echocardiogram showed Nathan's heart was enlarged and beating erratically.

"It just happened so fast. At first I couldn't process it," said Nathan's mother, Maggie Powell. "He was just fine 5 seconds ago; he was eating five things of pudding. He doesn't look sick - he's not pale, there are no dark circles under his eyes. He looks normal."

At that point, Nathan was transferred to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston where medical director of cardiac transplantation Dr. Jeffery Dreyer took his case. He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy.

"He was pretty sick when he got to us," Dreyer said in a phone interview. "A heart muscle problem may be present for some time as an underlying problem. The body has an amazing ability to overcome some deficiencies, and what is seen as very sudden to the family may not be so sudden."

Nathan, who is from Nederland, has Asperger's Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, and the changes in location and circumstances began to upset the normally goofy and laughing child. HOW TO HELP
The Nathaniel J. Powell Benefit Account, No. 700639700, has been set up at the DuPont Goodrich Credit Union and a benefit bake sale and raffle is from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 12 at Bruce's Market Basket in Groves. Donations will be used to pay Nathan's medical expenses and underwrite the family's move to Houston.

Cards and letters to Nathan can be sent in care of Maggie Powell, 1907 Holcombe No. 5, Houston, TX 77030.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU GO
What: Link/bake sale and raffle to benefit Nathan Powell

When: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 12

Where: Bruce's Market Basket, Groves




"He started getting agitated," Powell said. "His heart rate was 150. He doesn't understand what's going on. By the time he got into the pediatric ICU, his heart rate was 250."

Nathan was going into heart failure, and the doctors, in order to calm his heart rate, put him into a medically induced coma.

The heart condition often is caused by a viral infection of the heart or genetics, Dreyer said. In Nathan's case, doctors haven't been able to identify a cause.

There was little indication that the problem would develop when Nathan was younger. He had a benign heart murmur when he was born, but an echocardiogram at age 3 showed everything was normal.

Neither side of the family has a history of heart problems, although 3-year-old Troy will undergo testing in case the problems are genetic, Powell said.

"The doctors said if I hadn't brought him to the emergency room, he would have just died," she said. "I didn't know how to take that. He could have been just walking around the living room and died."

Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease that takes different forms. In Nathan's case, his heart is enlarged in such a way that the chambers are bigger than normal so that it doesn't pump as strongly as it should. Symptoms of the disease often mimic other problems, like a stomach virus.

The disease is fairly uncommon, with about six cases occurring in every 1 million children, according to the Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry, Dreyer said, cautioning parents not to overreact if their child starts vomiting.

"Parents shouldn't be alarmed and think every child with a stomach virus has heart problems," he said. "Usually, it's going to be a stomach virus."

When medical staff took Nathan out of the coma, his heart rate was too low, and he was diagnosed with tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome. The condition means that the heart alternately beats too fast and too slow. For Nathan, the lower part of his heart doesn't pump correctly.

"His heart rate goes really, really high, then drops really, really low and does it over and over again," Powell said. "When it was going back and forth, he was playing Nintendo DS, just sitting there watching TV."

The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator has the ability to regulate his heartbeat, pacing it up if it goes too slow and applying a shock if the heart is beating too rapidly, Dreyer said. Advertisement

Use Auto Refinancing to Ease the Family Budget
Gals, Want to Slash $500 off Your Auto Insurance?
Lower Your Tax Bill Next Year


The device is not really a fix, he said, adding that the 10 or so medications Nathan is taking are the real solution.

"If the medications he takes and will be taking for an indefinite time, if the medications and the ICD aren't as beneficial as we would like, the backup option would be the possibility of a heart transplant," Dreyer said.

A transplant could be needed immediately or never, he added, depending on how Nathan responds to the medications.

"We don't know if he'll get better or if he'll ultimately need a transplant," Dreyer said. "The procedure itself (implanting the ICD), he should recover from fairly rapidly."

The doctors will be monitoring Nathan closely for some time through the outpatient clinic.

"I can't even think about it anymore because he almost died," Powell said. "I've pleaded with them, 'Take my heart, I don't care.'"




Updated 06/28/2008 11:20:11 PM CDT
©The Beaumont Enterprise 2008
Gizmo's Mom is offline   Reply With Quote
Welcome Guest!
Not Registered?

Join today and remove this ad!

Old 06-29-2008, 04:58 AM   #2
Donating YT 1000 Club Member
 
Mom2BabyNatalie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 2,133
Love

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gizmo's Mom View Post
"I can't even think about it anymore because he almost died," Powell said. "I've pleaded with them, 'Take my heart, I don't care.'"
This part just brought tears to my eyes.... bless your precious family... I'm holding strong that this sweet, silly boy is on the road to recovery!!
__________________
Libby Gracie Mia & "Baby Emma"
~ My precious Natalie Kaye, you will ALWAYS be in my heart ~ I LOVE YOU!!!
Mom2BabyNatalie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2008, 05:54 AM   #3
Donating YT 1000 Club Member
 
4doggiemama's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: KS
Posts: 3,289
Default

Thanks for the articles. Very interesting. Joanne
__________________
Joanne Eli ChipperEva Snowboy
Rosie(R.I.P. 1996-July 29, 2013) Cocoa(R.I.P 1998-April 26, 2012):
4doggiemama is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2008, 11:24 AM   #4
Lovin' to the MAX!!
 
nvnvgirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Yorkieville
Posts: 2,774
Default

Is this your child? Or a friend's child? ICD's are absolutely amazing and really do work wonders. I worked extensively with heart transplants and heart/lung transplants at Stanford Univ. Hospital. It's a very successful operation and things are getting better as far as the meds go post surgery. I wish you (or whoever is involved) all the prayers in the world. I hope he gets his heart soon enough if that's what he needs and that he has an uneventful recovery in either case! It's so sad to see such sick kids; one thing though is that they rebound almost miraculously!
__________________
Seana and Max and Madison too!
Come visit me at: celebritydogwatcher.com

Last edited by nvnvgirl; 06-29-2008 at 11:26 AM.
nvnvgirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2008, 12:12 PM   #5
No Longer a Member
 
Gizmo's Mom's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,490
Blog Entries: 7
Default

Thank you very much. We've learned to take it day by day, but doesn't he look great!
Gizmo's Mom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2008, 12:34 PM   #6
Donating YT 7000 Club Member
 
MeganS's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 12,016
Blog Entries: 1
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by nvnvgirl View Post
Is this your child? Or a friend's child? ICD's are absolutely amazing and really do work wonders. I worked extensively with heart transplants and heart/lung transplants at Stanford Univ. Hospital. It's a very successful operation and things are getting better as far as the meds go post surgery. I wish you (or whoever is involved) all the prayers in the world. I hope he gets his heart soon enough if that's what he needs and that he has an uneventful recovery in either case! It's so sad to see such sick kids; one thing though is that they rebound almost miraculously!
Nathan is her Grandson.

Amazing articles. I, also, got teary eyed when I saw that part, Dena.

My prayers are with your family.
__________________
Megan
"I have my dreams, I have made plans." - The Pirate Queen

All Gave Some; Some Gave All
MeganS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2008, 01:30 PM   #7
Lovin' to the MAX!!
 
nvnvgirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Yorkieville
Posts: 2,774
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MeganS View Post
Nathan is her Grandson.

Amazing articles. I, also, got teary eyed when I saw that part, Dena.

My prayers are with your family.
Thanks Megan. I figured it out after going thru a bunch of other posts.
__________________
Seana and Max and Madison too!
Come visit me at: celebritydogwatcher.com
nvnvgirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2008, 01:48 PM   #8
No Longer a Member
 
Gizmo's Mom's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,490
Blog Entries: 7
Rainbow

Quote:
Originally Posted by nvnvgirl View Post
Thanks Megan. I figured it out after going thru a bunch of other posts.
Sorry about that hun. When I get on here I just figure everybody knows everybody. Kind of like picking up the phone and calling your friend down the street. I've babbled on so much I just figure in my mind I guess that most of you knew. I should have been more clear. Don't think it can be changed now. I know you all probably get tired of me posting anytime my boy takes a breath, but it's doing wonders for me and his parents. Heck, I've even showed MY parents. The kindness of your hearts know no bounds.
Maw Maw Neese
Gizmo's Mom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2008, 02:45 PM   #9
Lovin' to the MAX!!
 
nvnvgirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Yorkieville
Posts: 2,774
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gizmo's Mom View Post
Sorry about that hun. When I get on here I just figure everybody knows everybody. Kind of like picking up the phone and calling your friend down the street. I've babbled on so much I just figure in my mind I guess that most of you knew. I should have been more clear. Don't think it can be changed now. I know you all probably get tired of me posting anytime my boy takes a breath, but it's doing wonders for me and his parents. Heck, I've even showed MY parents. The kindness of your hearts know no bounds.
Maw Maw Neese
LOL...no, it PROBABLY WAS just ME who doesn't know! I try to catch most posts, but sometimes get distracted and after being an ICU nurse for 25 yrs, I have to pick and choose when I'm emotionally able to deal with more health issues...it really finally got to me and I get so sad about people (esp. kids or animals) being gravely ill that it really affects my day anymore. It's not b/c I don't care; it's b/c I care too much.
I know what parents go thru when their child is so sick (and grandparents too) and I wouldn't wish it on ANYONE ever! I know how I feel about my PETS for goodness sake, having a sick child and worrying whether he's going to live or not, I don't know if I could handle the emotional stress! Although, you have to be strong for the child, but I know it's heartbreaking and terribly frightening. Nobody wants an innocent child to have to endure the strangers, the testing and the treatment; all kids should be able to play with abandon and grow up healthy. I worked with infants and children whenever we got them b/c our heart unit was specific and that's where ANY heart surgery came, and I LOVED it, b/c when a kid got better, there was no better feeling in the WORLD than seeing the parents be so relieved! It's like the weight of the world had been lifted from them.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family that Nathan will do great with the ICD!
__________________
Seana and Max and Madison too!
Come visit me at: celebritydogwatcher.com
nvnvgirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks



Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




Google
 

SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:31 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2003 - 2018 YorkieTalk.com
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 817 818 819 820 821 822 823 824 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 832 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848 849 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860 861 862 863 864 865 866 867 868 869 870 871 872 873 874 875 876 877 878 879 880 881 882 883 884 885 886 887 888 889 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 900 901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 911 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 921 922 923 924 925 926 927 928 929 930 931 932 933 934 935 936 937 938 939 940 941 942 943 944 945 946 947 948 949 950 951 952 953 954 955 956 957 958 959 960 961 962 963 964 965 966 967 968 969 970 971 972 973 974 975 976 977 978 979 980 981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1124 1125 1126 1127 1128 1129 1130 1131 1132 1133 1134 1135 1136 1137 1138 1139 1140 1141 1142 1143 1144 1145 1146 1147 1148 1149 1150 1151 1152 1153 1154 1155 1156 1157 1158 1159 1160 1161 1162 1163 1164 1165 1166 1167