When Paityn Rose was born, she was diagnosed with a life-threatening cardiac defect at delivery. Immediately CHOP was notified and their Mobile Intensive Care Unit was dispatched. Paityn was stabilized and off they sped back to CHOP. She was diagnosed with a very complicated and rare anomaly, including a congenital left ventricular to aortic tunnel, obstructive pulmonic valve defect, and stenosis of aortic valve. Immediate lifesaving surgery was necessary, and the cardiologist stressed the probability of operative success was slight. The cardiologist and his team performed a miracle – Paityn left CHOP after two weeks with a little heart that never gave up. She lived a happy, normal, little girl life after surgery.
Tragically, her story does not have a happy ending. Paityn developed a completely unrelated acute problem, and died unexpectedly at age 8 ½.
There are no words to explain our devastation. We miss her every day. We will, however, always be grateful for the CHOP Cardiac team, and their compassionate, professional and lifesaving work. And especially we are thankful for the years we did have to love and cherish Paityn. We very much want to continue to support their work through Big Hearts to Little Hearts.