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The Sullivan Heart Map |
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The Sullivan Heart Map |
This little map will show how Congenital Heart defects have run through our family.
So who has what ?
That's me, and it may have all started with me. I have a very large ASD with Eisenmenger's Syndrome. The 'hole' is so large, it is said that I do not have a septum at all between the Atria. I am the eldest in the family tree shown born in 1957. There are other siblings with no heart condition.
My sister, 2.5 years younger than me. She was born with an ASD which was surgically repaired in 1966, when knives and forks were used for Heart surgery. She thankfully has never looked back. Siobhán is was born in 1959.
Identical twins of Siobhán who were born 7 weeks premature and both of whom have ASDs. Kelley also has what are described as "perforations" in the Ventricular Septal wall, ie. many small VSDs. The girls are 13 years old now, and Caroline was repaired when she was just 3 years old. Kelley had to wait as it was felt that some or all of the VSD damage might repair itself. Alas, this was not to be, and surgeons were concerned about touching her at all. I'll report on this if and when it happens. She had her opeartion Sept 2002 and is recovering nicely. She had a large ASD and 3 VSD repairs. There is some residual VSD damage which has not been repaired. Due to the surgery, her heart rhythm was not normal and she was also fitted with a pacemaker a few days later. She is a true Heart Soldier.
Kevin is the younger brother of Kelley and Caroline. He was born in 1994. He was diagnosed as having a VSD, but thankfully it repaired itself, and no surgery will now be required.
He is my son. He was born with an ASD and a small VSD. The VSD repaired itself and the ASD was successfully repaired in February 1998. Cian was born in 1995. Our second child was born in August 1998 (Sadhbh) and she has no heart/lung defect at all. Figure that !! Cian developed a thrombus in his heart after the initial operation, and while a wait and see game was played, it was decided to remove it in February 2001. Cian is now fit and well, and we hope and pray that this is the final surgery he will have.
So with all the repairs mentioned above, I remain the only 'Broken-hearted' person in our family.So