Asked to recall the year she was first diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD), Gabriella Hammond responds with a laugh, “They cut the cord, and I turned blue.”
Gabriella’s parents later described huddling outside the hospital at dawn, watching a helicopter carry their firstborn baby girl off into the sunrise. Speeding down the highway below, they would arrive in time for the first of four open heart surgeries Gabriella would need to keep her alive.
“It’s an opportunity to make a long lasting impact on a patient’s future. Our team works to give our patients a shot at living a high-quality life for hopefully many more decades.” — Dr. Hugo Issa
(Click to read more about Dr. Hugo Issa)
Now 26, Gabriella’s most recent valve replacement was performed at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) by Dr. Gyaandeo Maharajh, a cardiac surgeon on UOHI’s specialized Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) team, graduate of the UOHI cardiac surgical residency program, and Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa. Currently caring for approximately 2,000 adults living with CHD across a vast and populated region, UOHI’s ACHD team performs life-saving surgeries, interventions, medical care, and research alongside a new and growing patient population.
(Click to read more about Dr. Gyaandeo Maharajh)
It is estimated that 1%, or 1 in 100 babies, like Gabriella, are born with CHD. This means that approximately 3,000 tiny heart patients, often needing immediate intervention and lifelong care, join Canada’s overwhelmed healthcare system each year. There are over 40 types of CHD and it is the world’s number one birth defect. Striving towards bright futures and positive outcomes.
Gabriella will be forever grateful for the care she received from the ACHD clinic prior to her last surgery.
“The team was lovely, eased me through it and really took the time to make sure that I understood everything. It was scary but I knew I was in the best hands possible. They waited until I was ready at every step and were still answering my questions as I drifted off to sleep.” Now enjoying a fulfilling career at a daycare in Pembroke, Gabriella says that she would be lost without the ACHD clinic. “They keep me safe, healthy, and able to live a great life, despite my condition.”
P.S. Click here to read how Dr. Markus Schwerzmann and the ACHD Team are working to change lives.
