thedrifter
02-07-03, 10:48 PM
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200327155314/$file/lowdillon.jpg
1/2 month-old Dillon Sellers, son of Maj. Hal and Betsy Sellers, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and awaits a heart transplant at Loma Linda University Medical Center. His family hopes a donor becomes available before his dad leaves to join his unit for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Photo by: Sellers family
Health is heartbeat away for Marine infant
Submitted by: MCAGCC
Story Identification Number: 200327155049
Story by Sgt. Jennie Haskamp
MCAGCC, Twentynine Palms, Calif.-(Feb. 7, 2003) -- An intravenous line in a left forearm travels up a tiny bicep, across a shoulder and directly into a tiny heart. Prostin, Milranone, Verced, morphine and Lasix are a few of the medications pumped into the IV, enabling that heart to function.
For 3 and a half month old Dillon Robert Sellers, those drugs are lifesavers. Without them, his heart would not function properly, and he would die. Dillon, who weighed 8 lbs. 2oz. at birth on Oct. 19, has been in the neonatal intensive care unit at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif. since Oct. 28.
"I took him to the hospital here on base (October) 28 because of jaundice," said his mother, Betsy. "His feet were blue, and his breathing was so rapid they took him to the emergency room. In the ER they found a heart murmur and said he was in cardiac failure."
After being airlifted to Loma Linda Children's Hospital, tests and X-rays revealed Dillon suffered from Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. In a child with HLHS, all of the structures on the left side of the heart, the side that receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it out to the body, are severely underdeveloped. This results in a situation where the left side of the heart is completely unable to support the circulation needed by the body's organs, though the right side of the heart, the side that delivers blood to the lungs, is typically normally developed.
"Initially, the doctors thought it could be repaired with surgery," said his father, Maj. Hal Sellers, executive officer, 3rd Light-Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. "Then they realized because of the extent of his heart problems, transplant was Dillon?s only option."
The Sellers hope a donor will be found in time to save Dillon's life. His blood type, O+, is the most common, but it makes it a little more difficult because O+ donors are universal donors, according to Maj. Sellers. He explained that a person with a rare blood type, such as AB-, can use an O+ heart. But an O+ person may only use an O+ heart.
"A baby girl received a heart at Loma Linda about two weeks ago," said Betsy. "She is six months old and has been waiting for almost six months. Dillon is first in line now."
Knowing someone else's baby received a transplant encourages Betsy. "It not only means Dillon is next," said Betsy, a wistful look in her eye. "It also gives us hope of him holding on until a heart becomes available. Even if it takes that long, his chances of survival rise tremendously, if he receives a transplant."
LLUMC has performed heart transplants for close to 20 years, and boasts a survival rate that is eight-to 13-percent higher than the national average, although 20 percent of infants die still waiting for a donor.It is the waiting that makes the situation so precarious, not the possibility Dillon's body will reject the donation, explained Betsy. His immune system is overworked, and with so many entry sites for tubes and IV's, he battles constant infection.
"He is just so weak," said Betsy. "They have him on a respirator now, because breathing on his own was too much work for him. He was losing weight every day, just working to breathe. At one point he was below his birth weight. Now that he is back on the respirator, he has regained some weight. They actually used medication to paralyze him for a while, to control his voluntary reflexes. This helped control the amount of weight he was losing."
For the first time since his hospitalization, Dillon is not on any antibiotics. In his short life, he has battled pneumonia, sepsis and a variety of infections.
"We are excited about that, but we know it can change instantly," his mother said. "Several times, they have called us and said 'come to the hospital now, he might not make it much longer.'"
For the sake of their two older sons, eight-year-old Alex and six-year-old Erik, the Sellers are trying to maintain a normal routine at home.
"They need consistency in all of this," explained Betsy. "Alex is old enough to be sensitive about it, and he understands Dillon might not make it. Erik is the one who is more affected by us not being home as much, and we are trying to avoid that as much as possible."
During the week, Betsy visits Dillon while the boys are at school and day care for a few hours, commuting about three hours each day she visits her youngest son.
"I get them to school and head to the hospital," she said. "I stay with Dillon and then make it home to pick Alex and Erik up at 4 p.m. After that it is homework, dinner at 5:30 and baths, quiet time and bed at eight."
Weekends find the entire Sellers family visiting little Dillon at his home away from home, in a crib adorned with a patch from his daddy's unit.
"He is doing normal three-month-old things now," said Betsy. "He follows us with his eyes, and he just found his hands. He sucks on them now, and he reaches for stuffed animals the nurses strung above his crib."
After a moment, she explains one thing that makes Dillon different from babies his age.
"He doesn't cry or coo or laugh. He can't, because of the respirator," she said softly. "They can't take him off of the respirator though; he is too weak to breathe alone."
As each day passes, and Dillon's dad comes closer joining his unit overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the need for a donor becomes more imminent. The Sellers, organ donors themselves, explained most parents don't even discuss donating their child's organs.
"The time to decide to be an organ donor is when your kids are healthy," said Sellers, admitting he was not even aware there was a need until Dillon was diagnosed. "It is unfortunate that another child has to die in order for Dillon to live, but a parent will have the opportunity to give life to my son, even in the midst of their own tragedy."
Betsy says the thought of her husband being gone while their son waits for a heart is hard, but the decision is one they made together.
"We would love for Dillon to receive a transplant before Hal leaves," she said. "But when he signed up to be a Marine, it was not for when it was convenient. He needs to go with his unit."
Despite the ongoing possibility of a family tragedy, they have managed to find something positive to take from the experience.
"In all of this, everyone has been amazing," Betsy said. "We could not imagine going through this outside of the Corps. The battalion wives have been amazing with their support, and the staff at the hospital is phenomenal. Dillon's nurses even call to check on him when they are not working. It's really been absolutely amazing."
While recipients are not hand selected, any donation will save a life somewhere.
"There are 80,914 candidates on the transplant list," according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. "When one person decides to donate, they have the chance of saving or improving up to 50 lives."
Sellers implores people everywhere to decide to become organ donors, for themselves and their children.
"With all of the emotional strain we've been under these last months, we have not yet had to experience the loss of a child," said Sellers. "We are in need of parents who will unselfishly give life to our son or another baby during their time of grief."
Anyone interested in learning more about organ sharing can visit the United Network for Organ Sharing Web site at http://www.unos.org
Sempers,
Roger
1/2 month-old Dillon Sellers, son of Maj. Hal and Betsy Sellers, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and awaits a heart transplant at Loma Linda University Medical Center. His family hopes a donor becomes available before his dad leaves to join his unit for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Photo by: Sellers family
Health is heartbeat away for Marine infant
Submitted by: MCAGCC
Story Identification Number: 200327155049
Story by Sgt. Jennie Haskamp
MCAGCC, Twentynine Palms, Calif.-(Feb. 7, 2003) -- An intravenous line in a left forearm travels up a tiny bicep, across a shoulder and directly into a tiny heart. Prostin, Milranone, Verced, morphine and Lasix are a few of the medications pumped into the IV, enabling that heart to function.
For 3 and a half month old Dillon Robert Sellers, those drugs are lifesavers. Without them, his heart would not function properly, and he would die. Dillon, who weighed 8 lbs. 2oz. at birth on Oct. 19, has been in the neonatal intensive care unit at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif. since Oct. 28.
"I took him to the hospital here on base (October) 28 because of jaundice," said his mother, Betsy. "His feet were blue, and his breathing was so rapid they took him to the emergency room. In the ER they found a heart murmur and said he was in cardiac failure."
After being airlifted to Loma Linda Children's Hospital, tests and X-rays revealed Dillon suffered from Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. In a child with HLHS, all of the structures on the left side of the heart, the side that receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it out to the body, are severely underdeveloped. This results in a situation where the left side of the heart is completely unable to support the circulation needed by the body's organs, though the right side of the heart, the side that delivers blood to the lungs, is typically normally developed.
"Initially, the doctors thought it could be repaired with surgery," said his father, Maj. Hal Sellers, executive officer, 3rd Light-Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. "Then they realized because of the extent of his heart problems, transplant was Dillon?s only option."
The Sellers hope a donor will be found in time to save Dillon's life. His blood type, O+, is the most common, but it makes it a little more difficult because O+ donors are universal donors, according to Maj. Sellers. He explained that a person with a rare blood type, such as AB-, can use an O+ heart. But an O+ person may only use an O+ heart.
"A baby girl received a heart at Loma Linda about two weeks ago," said Betsy. "She is six months old and has been waiting for almost six months. Dillon is first in line now."
Knowing someone else's baby received a transplant encourages Betsy. "It not only means Dillon is next," said Betsy, a wistful look in her eye. "It also gives us hope of him holding on until a heart becomes available. Even if it takes that long, his chances of survival rise tremendously, if he receives a transplant."
LLUMC has performed heart transplants for close to 20 years, and boasts a survival rate that is eight-to 13-percent higher than the national average, although 20 percent of infants die still waiting for a donor.It is the waiting that makes the situation so precarious, not the possibility Dillon's body will reject the donation, explained Betsy. His immune system is overworked, and with so many entry sites for tubes and IV's, he battles constant infection.
"He is just so weak," said Betsy. "They have him on a respirator now, because breathing on his own was too much work for him. He was losing weight every day, just working to breathe. At one point he was below his birth weight. Now that he is back on the respirator, he has regained some weight. They actually used medication to paralyze him for a while, to control his voluntary reflexes. This helped control the amount of weight he was losing."
For the first time since his hospitalization, Dillon is not on any antibiotics. In his short life, he has battled pneumonia, sepsis and a variety of infections.
"We are excited about that, but we know it can change instantly," his mother said. "Several times, they have called us and said 'come to the hospital now, he might not make it much longer.'"
For the sake of their two older sons, eight-year-old Alex and six-year-old Erik, the Sellers are trying to maintain a normal routine at home.
"They need consistency in all of this," explained Betsy. "Alex is old enough to be sensitive about it, and he understands Dillon might not make it. Erik is the one who is more affected by us not being home as much, and we are trying to avoid that as much as possible."
During the week, Betsy visits Dillon while the boys are at school and day care for a few hours, commuting about three hours each day she visits her youngest son.
"I get them to school and head to the hospital," she said. "I stay with Dillon and then make it home to pick Alex and Erik up at 4 p.m. After that it is homework, dinner at 5:30 and baths, quiet time and bed at eight."
Weekends find the entire Sellers family visiting little Dillon at his home away from home, in a crib adorned with a patch from his daddy's unit.
"He is doing normal three-month-old things now," said Betsy. "He follows us with his eyes, and he just found his hands. He sucks on them now, and he reaches for stuffed animals the nurses strung above his crib."
After a moment, she explains one thing that makes Dillon different from babies his age.
"He doesn't cry or coo or laugh. He can't, because of the respirator," she said softly. "They can't take him off of the respirator though; he is too weak to breathe alone."
As each day passes, and Dillon's dad comes closer joining his unit overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the need for a donor becomes more imminent. The Sellers, organ donors themselves, explained most parents don't even discuss donating their child's organs.
"The time to decide to be an organ donor is when your kids are healthy," said Sellers, admitting he was not even aware there was a need until Dillon was diagnosed. "It is unfortunate that another child has to die in order for Dillon to live, but a parent will have the opportunity to give life to my son, even in the midst of their own tragedy."
Betsy says the thought of her husband being gone while their son waits for a heart is hard, but the decision is one they made together.
"We would love for Dillon to receive a transplant before Hal leaves," she said. "But when he signed up to be a Marine, it was not for when it was convenient. He needs to go with his unit."
Despite the ongoing possibility of a family tragedy, they have managed to find something positive to take from the experience.
"In all of this, everyone has been amazing," Betsy said. "We could not imagine going through this outside of the Corps. The battalion wives have been amazing with their support, and the staff at the hospital is phenomenal. Dillon's nurses even call to check on him when they are not working. It's really been absolutely amazing."
While recipients are not hand selected, any donation will save a life somewhere.
"There are 80,914 candidates on the transplant list," according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. "When one person decides to donate, they have the chance of saving or improving up to 50 lives."
Sellers implores people everywhere to decide to become organ donors, for themselves and their children.
"With all of the emotional strain we've been under these last months, we have not yet had to experience the loss of a child," said Sellers. "We are in need of parents who will unselfishly give life to our son or another baby during their time of grief."
Anyone interested in learning more about organ sharing can visit the United Network for Organ Sharing Web site at http://www.unos.org
Sempers,
Roger