Written by Lelani Groenewald
My Journey as a First-Time Mother to a Child with Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA)
As I saw my newborn son straight after my planned C-section, I couldn’t have imagined the rollercoaster journey that awaited us. I had become a first-time mother to a baby with a life-threatening heart condition – Transposition of the Great Arteries. Little did I know that my precious baby would undergo open-heart surgery at just 6 days old, and I would have to say goodbye to him as he was taken to theatre, not knowing if I would ever see him alive again.
The world as I knew it turned upside down when, shortly after his birth, we received the devastating diagnosis. Our beautiful baby boy had a heart defect that required immediate intervention. Transposition of the Great Arteries meant that his pulmonary and aortic arteries were switched, preventing his blood from being oxygenated properly. It was a terrifying moment as we faced the reality that our child’s life hung in the balance. With heavy hearts, we handed our tiny warrior over to the skilled hands of the surgical team. The hours that followed were agonising, as we waited for news of his condition. Every beep of the phone sent shivers down our spines, and every step toward the hospital felt like an eternity. Saying goodbye to our precious newborn was a painful experience, not knowing if it would be the last time we would see him smile.
Our son’s open-heart surgery was a success, but the challenges were far from over. He spent an entire month in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), battling complications and struggling to be extubated. Those days were marked by anxiety, fear, and an overwhelming desire to be with our fragile baby. During that month in the NICU, our world revolved around the beeping monitors, the steady rhythm of our baby’s heart, and the countless hours we spent by his side. We watched as he fought for every breath, as his tiny body grew stronger day by day. We spent as much time as possible with him, reading stories and offering words of encouragement, hoping and praying that we would one day take him home.
The moment we were finally able to hold our baby without tubes and wires was nothing short of miraculous. We knew we had turned a corner on this harrowing journey. As he continued to recover and grow, our hope for a brighter future strengthened. The support from the incredible medical team and the love of family and friends sustained us through the darkest hours.
Today, our son is a healthy 14-year-old boy with a clean bill of health, no medications, and a future filled with boundless possibilities. It’s a testament to his strength, the dedication of the medical professionals who cared for him, and the unwavering love and resilience of our family. We didn’t receive the diagnosis during pregnancy; we were blindsided only a few hours after his birth. But we have learned that life can be unpredictable, and it’s our response to adversity that defines us. Our journey as first-time parents to a child with Transposition of the Great Arteries was filled with challenges, but it also revealed the incredible power of the human spirit and the capacity for hope in the face of uncertainty. We cherish every day with our son and never take his good health for granted. Our experience has taught us to treasure the simple joys of life, and to have faith that even in the darkest moments, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.