Patient Stories > Jaleel Eutsey

Jaleel and his twin sister Alana-Marie were born prematurely at 28 weeks gestation. Babies born this early are usually very small, and their organs are less developed than babies born at the normal 40 weeks gestation, putting them at risk for multiple health problems. Jaleel and his sister spent eight weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at their local community hospital before their parents could bring them home.

At 14 months old, Jaleel's mom Jeannie brought him to see a pediatric cardiologist at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children to clear him for surgery to put tubes in his ears because he suffered from recurrent ear infections. At this visit Jaleel was diagnosed with a coarctation of the aorta, which is a narrowing in the blood vessel that brings blood to the lower part of the body. Of the thousands of babies born each year with cardiovascular defects approximately 10 percent have this type of defect, which can lead to congestive heart failure and high blood pressure.

Further testing revealed the severity of the narrowing and it was determined that Jaleel would require surgery to improve heart function and restore normal blood flow to his lower body. A cardiovascular surgeon operated on Jaleel to remove the narrowed area (coarctation) of the aorta and reconnect the two normal ends to each other. Instead of doing open heart surgery, the repair was done through a small incision toward the back of his chest. Jaleel responded well to surgery and was sent home five days later.

While Jaleel's parents said it was scary to see their son hooked up to tubes and machines after his surgery, they were very pleased with the quality of care their son received at St. Chris and the attentiveness of the staff. Jeannie says she appreciated that the physicians and nurses always took the time to answer her questions and explain Jaleel's condition and treatment in a way that she could understand.

Now that Jaleel is at home he is leading an active life -- talking, playing with his twin sister, learning to walk and getting potty trained. Jaleel continues to follow up with his cardiologist, but he is able to do this at a St. Chris multispecialty care center 15 minutes from home, which makes it extremely convenient for his parents. Jeannie says that she's also grateful that the office staff helped her locate an appropriate day care center that is equipped to handle a child with special health care needs, such as those resulting from prematurity.

For more information on the cardiac services available at the Heart Center at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, call 1-877-871-1213.