Vea’s Story
For the Tsoflias family, the past year has been a roller coaster of emotions: disbelief, heartbreak and, ultimately, hope.
It all began when a routine 20-week ultrasound revealed an abnormality. Brittany, an expectant first-time mom, was referred to Nemours Children’s fetal cardiologist, Shubhika Srivastava, MD, for a fetal echocardiogram. She soon learned that her baby had a very rare congenital heart defect called Ebstein’s anomaly. The defect is an abnormality in the tricuspid valve, causing it to leak. If it were left unchecked, the condition would result in heart failure. Surgery would be required to correct the defect.
Knowing that her baby would need highly specialized heart care immediately after birth, Brittany delivered her daughter, Vea, through our Advanced Delivery Program at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. “What an amazing experience! I felt special,” says Brittany, “because everyone went above and beyond for me.”
Christian Pizarro, MD, recognized as a surgical expert in this type of complex heart defect, successfully repaired Vea’s heart when she was just 11 months old.
Now, one year after surgery, Vea is thriving and mobile — crawling and stealing hearts with her wide-eyed smile. However, it’s possible Vea may need another surgery at some point, and if she does, her mom says, “We would put our trust in Dr. Pizarro all over again.”