Baby Lorenzo Thriving After In-Utero Heart Surgery

Heather discovered that her baby, Lorenzo, had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) at just 22 weeks pregnant. HLHS is a severe heart condition that progressively worsens as the baby’s heart develops in the womb. It is estimated that children born with the serious heart defect only have about a 10% chance of living six months after birth. Heather and her husband decided to have the risky- in-utero surgery to save Lorenzo’s life. The doctors would insert a needle into Lorenzo’s heart through his mother’s abdomen and then expand a tiny balloon in the aortic valve to increase blood flow through the left side of his heart in hopes of aiding in the development of that side of his heart. The surgery was successful, and after checking in two years later, Lorenzo was thriving!