Our Fetal Echocardiogram - For Precautionary Purposes

So as many of you know, I am an only child. But I did have a younger sister. Her name was Lindsay and she was born November 2, 1987. My sister was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in which the left chamber of her heart didn't fully develop and was unable to pump blood efficiently. They did not know this before she was born because nothing abnormal showed up on the ultrasounds and my mom had a completely normal pregnancy.

At the time when she was born the 4 step surgery was still fairly new and only done in Boston. My mom and nana were about to board the air plane to go to Boston to be there for her surgery, when my mom heard her name over the intercom. She approached the front desk of the terminal and was told she had a phone call. It was CHOC hospital saying Lindsay couldn't make the flight to Boston. The altitude would be too difficult on her heart.

My sister passed a few weeks after she was born.  I was only four at the time and I didn't attend her funeral because my parents didn't think it was fair for me to go through that. I do remember visiting CHOC hospital and seeing Lindsay in the incubator and being able to put my hands in the rubber gloves of the incubator and touch her. I also remember going with my dad to pick out something for her. I chose a fuzzy little bunny rabbit stuffed animal that had a rattle inside of it...to this day I still have that bunny and it has her hospital name band on it. I will forever keep that close to me. I did not get to grow up with my sister, get to know her, or do the sisterly things, but I still think about her all the time and know that she is in the best place and I will one day get to see her again.

So, when I told the doc about this she said that Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome is not something that is passed through the genes so our child is about 95% not going to have it. But she stated that it didn't mean that other heart conditions may not be genetic. For precautionary purposes she wanted to do a fetal echo to take a closer look at the heart. I went today for that and everything looks great!!! She has a great heartbeat and the heart looks like it is developing just right with no abnormalities!! Praise be to God!!!

It was such great news to hear that today and to get to see her again...she has grown so much since our 20 week ultrasound. She has a pretty good sized belly by the looks of it already! So it turned out great, but I left really thinking about my sister...but I know she is looking down on us and will be looking down upon our little girl as she grows! I love knowing that!

Here is a picture from todays ultrasound:

I have to say she has a cute profile!!! Love her already!!!