The Foundation is delighted to share, with permission, a story of hope from our friends at Stanford Children’s.
Alyssa and Justin Prettyman were looking forward to a quiet, natural birthing experience with local midwives for the birth of their third child.
But their expectations took a sharp turn when Alyssa was five months along and an ultrasound revealed that their baby, Nya, had a heart condition, ductus arteriosus.
Alyssa was told that her daughter might need surgery immediately after being born.
“When that happens, you want to go to the best of the best, so we transferred care to Stanford [Children’s] immediately.”
At Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, a fetal echocardiogram confirmed that the left-side structures of Nya’s heart were significantly smaller than the right.
Specialists (fetal cardiologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists, genetic counselors, and pediatric cardiologists) involved both before and after the baby’s birth joined the Prettymans’ Fetal and Pregnancy Health Program team to meet with one another and to talk with the family.
Stanford Children’s Fetal and Pregnancy Health team is well versed in providing expert, coordinated care for mothers with complex health issues and babies diagnosed with rare conditions in the womb.
