Last week I posted on my youngest son's (7 weeks) upcoming major heart operation the 'Norwood Procedure'.
He was on the operating table longer than was expected, in total of about 8 hours. I was allowed to escort him to the theatre in the morning, and left him with the medical team at about 9 am, I next saw him at about 8 pm.
His recovery initially looked promising, but within 12 hours it became apparent that he was not doing so well, he was rushed back in the next morning at about 10 am. This surgery was much shorter and we had him back to us by 3 pm. Following his second operation, it soon became clear that he was doing much better, the cardiologist and surgeons were happy. His mother and I were in desperate need of a stiff drink, but our blood pressure was slowly returning to normal.
During our stay in the hospital, we have become friends with many parents of children in the Intensive Care Unit. On the bed next to our baby, was another baby who had the same operation as our baby a few days before. As last week drew to a close, there were dark clouds gathering. Metiz (the baby next to ours) was not doing well. He still was not breathing on his own and was being propped up by many drugs. His parents were told he would be given the weekend to improve, but on Monday his Ecmo machine would be turned off, and if he wasn't strong enough to breathe on his own, there was nothing left for the team to do.
Monday came, I went to work. I asked my wife how Metiz was doing....
My wife sent me a picture, Metiz bed was there, but he wasn't. Metiz died on Monday the 17th of February, he was less than 4 weeks old.
Tiberius continues his slow recovery, but his victory over death will be forever tinged with the grief from the death of his little friend.