Thank You

very much for viewing my page

🙏🙏🙏🙏

 

We want to spread Support & Awareness

to everyone we can reach in regards to
Pediatric Heart Diseases👶

 

My name is
Josiah Camacho & I was born with the CCHD

(Critical Congential

Heart Disease)

known as

Truncus Arteriosus,

Type A3. 

 

Come along with me on my

CHD Journey

& help us show other families in similiar situations, that there is hope,

to fight everyday,

& to never give up!!

#josiahschdjourney

#1in100 #1in10000

#heartwarrior #chd

MY STORY>>>>>>>>>>>>

I was born the day before Thanksgiving,

November 24th, 2021.

My mom & dad (Ashley & Juan) soon found out, my life would be a little more challenging than ever expected. 

 

My mother went into labor around 11pm the evening before and checked into

Citrus Memorial Hospital

(now HCA of Citrus)

around 430am.

I was born at 7:24am 6lbs 30z & 19 1/2in Long as mom & dads Rainbow Baby/Thanksgiving Baby.

 

A few hours later, my dad noticed that my breathing was labored so he asked the nurses and doctors to take another look at me. There were times I began to turn blue, and though it may have been some bruising from labor, it made my parents quite nervous. 

 

The doctor could tell my heart sounded Entirely TOO loud and my breathing wasn't right.

They suspected a Heart Murmur but because they did not have the Pediatric Care or a Pediatric Cardiologist to even begin to figure out what was wrong.

I was shortly flown off to a Specialty Hospital,

Shand's Children's Hospital

a few hours later to figure out what was going on. 

 

That evening, my parents were told I have a

(CCHD) Critical Congenital Heart Disease w/ Heart defects

& they needed more time to do many more tests & research to figure out what all was wrong

& what they could do to try & fix it.

 

 

 

I have:

Truncus Arteriosus Type A3, w/ a VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect) & a Right Aortic Arch, Right & Left Pulmonary Artery Stenosis, & Pulmonary Hypertension.

Truncus arteriosus is a birth defect of the heart. It occurs when the blood vessel coming out of the heart in the developing baby fails to separate completely during development, leaving a connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery. There are several different types of truncus, depending on how the arteries remain connected. There is also usually a hole between the bottom two chambers of the heart (ventricles) called a ventricular septal defect. Because a baby with this defect may need surgery or other procedures soon after birth, truncus arteriosus is considered a critical congenital heart defect (CCHD). Congenital means present at birth.

In a baby without a congenital heart defect, the right side of the heart pumps oxygen-poor blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. The left side of the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through the aorta to the rest of the body.

In babies with a truncus arteriosus, oxygen-poor blood and oxygen-rich blood are mixed together as blood flows to the lungs and the rest of the body. As a result, too much blood goes to the lungs and the heart works harder to pump blood to the rest of the body. Also, instead of having both an aortic valve and a pulmonary valve, babies with truncus arteriosus have a single common valve (truncal valve) controlling blood flow out of the heart. The truncal valve is often abnormal. The valve can be thickened and narrowed, which can block the blood as it leaves the heart. It can also leak, causing blood that leaves the heart to leak back into the heart across the valve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Since receiving this news,

I had stayed in the hospital since birth for 51 days.

During my stay, they performed my 1st OHS (Open Heart Surgery) on 12/9/21 to attempt to Repair the Truncus, patch the VSD (as well as some smaller holes), & Implant a Conduit to act as the second Main Artery, & relocate/strethch my Pulmonary Arteries, as well as check everything else out while in there. They did find that a few weeks from there, I would need a Catheter Surgery to implant Stents in each of my Pulmonary Arteries, that was performed on one of my big brother's birthday (Matthew) 1/4/22 when I was 6 weeks old.

I was finally able to go home on 1/14/22, and though I missed the holidays with my family, I hope to be able to spend my 1st true holidays with them as the year goes by. 

 

 

 

 

I had my 2nd Cath. Surgery 9/6/22 to attempt to balloon both of my stents in the pulmonary arteries but they found they couldn't expand them or my arteries that connected to them either...this led to a conference with his entire team to discuss what to do next ..

 

 

 

 

 

At home I have my mom, dad, 4 siblings, and our French BullDog "Marz" 

I have 3 brothers and one sister, Autumn-lynn, Matthew, and Isaiah.

I would have another sibling here with us right before me,

but Angel Baby Alex,

was needed in heaven before he could make his arrival.  

 

 

Llife can be challenging for everyone in our family but we are pushing each and every day

& We want to help

Spread Awareness

& assist other families going through similar life challenges. We want to show others that even though some days it may be easier said than done,

You CAN & WILL get through it, just DON't GIVE UP!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*****New Update Added 11/2/2022:

 

My 2nd OHS is scheduled for January 4th 2023,

this is the conclusion to the conference they had after finding they were unable to expand my stents more and found my arteries were still too narrow. They said the right side of my heart is also still working harder than the other.

This will be another extensive Open Heart Surgery to replace everything all over again

I will need to be intubated & all for a little while, even following surgery, as they will need to leave my chest open again to allow swelling to reduce. Praying everything goes smoothly

Super excited for the holidays to be at home this year!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://linkr.bio/josiahschdjourney

 

 

#JosiahsCHDJourney #HeartWarrior #chd #cchd #CHDWarrior #CHDAwareness #CHDBaby #CHDAware #RainbowBaby #ThanksgivingBaby #CHDStory #TruncusArteriosus #TruncusArteriosusType3 #HeartWarriorFamily #StrongerTogether #SpreadAwareness #ShareTheLove #TinySuperHero #ZipperClub #PediatricHeartDisease #CongentialHeartDisease #HeartDisease