Chicago Congenital Heart Walk

I am walking in honor of my daughter and heart warrior, Eliana.

I learned of a rare complication at my twenty week ultrasound called absent ductus venosus. The umbilical vein bypassed the fetal liver entirely and pumped blood directly into Ellie's right atrium. I was carefully monitored two days a week for fetal heart failure at the Chicago Institute for Fetal Health--a part of Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital--and the maternal fetal medicine practice at Northwestern.

Eliana was born at thirty-seven weeks on June 24, 2023. She was in the NICU for thirty four days before being discharged on lasix--a cardiac medication to prevent the overcirculation of blood.

Whie monitored carefully outpatient, Eliana ultimately had to undergo open heart surgery at Lurie on October 17, 2024. Her largest ventricular septal defect was patched, while other portions of fetal anatomy were ligated and sutured closed.

Recently, we learned that Eliana has a new cardiac diagnosis and will need to see a further subspecialty of cardiology called aortopathy. This only further underscored the complex reality of children living with CHD and the complex/multifaceted nature of this condition.

We invite you to walk with us in celebration of Eliana's life. We are grateful for every day and hope for her to always be surrounded by the love and support of Ellie's Cardio Club!

Joelle Shabat

Cheering on kids and researchers working to conquer CHD!

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