Sunday, January 01, 2006

Jean-Baptiste Update

Date: 30 Dec 2005 01:31:56 -0000From: "Realname" To: drjohn@mtco.comSubject: Jean Baptiste
Dear Everybody,This is a summary of Jackson's last 48 hours. It is Thursday night now andwe are in Cleveland.At 6:30 AM on Tuesday morning we went to downtown PAP to the Haitianimmigrations office and renewed Jackson's passport. It was to expire inMay, 06. We needed to carry Jackson down the street and in the buildingbecause he was to weak to walk over a few steps. The Haitian authoritieswere very gracious and extended his passport very quickly. We met a motherand baby with congenital heart disease at the passport agency. We hadexamined the baby early in December and she has tetrology of fallot. Motherwas attempting to get an urgent passport and when she saw us she broke outcrying because she knew were leaving with Jackson for the States and leavingher baby behind. she knew she wouldn't have the baby's passport it time. Wetold her we would be back for her baby on another trip which didn't consoleher too much.We then headed for the American Consulate where they fingerprinted Jacksonafter we filled out the visa application, could see how sick he was, andgranted the visa in 30 minutes.We then were at the PAP airport by 1 PM and the plane was 1 and one halfhours late leaving. Got to Cleveland at midnight and Jackson was stillhanging in there. We stayed at a guest house at the Cleveland Clinic andtook Jackson to the clinic yesterday morning where he was made a direct admit. An IV was started within 10 minutes and a bedside echo done within 30minutes which confirmed the findings in Haiti. Today Jackson had a transesophageal echo and a right heart catheterization.He was moved to the heart failure ICU immediately afterwards. He is doingwell tonight.His data show that he has a very tight mitral valve and a tricuspid valvethat doesn't close at all so his blood goes in the reverse fashion to alarge extent. He has a very low cardiac output bordering on shock all ofthe time due to his heart valves and their poor function. His leftventricle squeezes very well but his right heart does not because of themitral stenosis and tricuspid regurgitation. His pulmonary artery pressuresare a little high, but could be much worse. The plan is still surgery. TheCleveland Clinic docs are trying to "buff him up" some before surgery. Theydo not know how he is still alive with the numbers that were uncovered todayat his cath procedeure. Cleveland Clinic is the number one heart hospital in the United States. Jackson will be a challenge even for them due to his long standing disease.We will be very fortunate if he does well and continue to need your prayers.Everyone here has been great. There are 26,000 employees at the CC with2,300 doctors. There are over 30 buildings including the satellite clinics.We are staying at the Ronald McDonald house across the street from theClinic. On Tuesday another Haitian Hearts patient, Emmanual, is coming to ClevelandClinic for his preop workup. (He is in Lima, Ohio right now.) He is 15months old and weighs 10 lbs. He has a ventricular septal defect. We spokewith the doctor who is in charge of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery departmenthere today (Dr. Duncan), and thanked him for accepting Emmanual and twoother Haitian babies later in January. (There is a great book out in thelast couple of years about pediatric heart surgery called "Walk on Water"based on the Cleveland Clinic Peds CV program.)We will keep you informed how these kids do.Sincerely,John and Maria



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