· Introduction ·
Victoria Elizabeth Littlefield
Victoria has a
Congenital Heart Defect (CHD),
i.e. something went wrong during the embryonic development of her
heart. Her particular defect is called
Single Ventricle. (It is also
known as Hypoplastic Right Ventricle.)
Her heart has just three chambers
instead of the normal four. (Actually, it does have a tiny
right ventricle, but it is useless.) Victoria was first diagnosed with
this heart defect four months before she entered the world. She was
born on October 17, 1993.
Victoria has had two major operations to treat (but not correct) her heart defect, a Bi-directional Glenn Shunt in April 1994 and a modified Fontan Procedure in April 1996. She came through both of these operations well and is now doing just fine.
This account of Victoria's life to date serves more than one purpose. I wrote this (and continue to add to it) to provide a story of good news for other parents of cardiac kids. We are all fortunate that medical technology and knowledge is as advanced as it is today. Please feel free to e-mail us about anything to do with Victoria's Story or CHD. We are more than happy to share our experiences or answer questions.
These pages were also written for the benefit of myself and my family. Victoria has been through a great deal and so have we, as her parents. As well as documenting the various events in Victoria's life, I have tried to express some of what I was feeling during these events. The operations are now gradually fading into the past, hopefully forever, and this story will help us to remember the good times and the bad.
