When we first started down this CHD path, we immersed
ourselves in research. Many of you remember when we had to decide who our
surgeon and cardiologist would be. It felt like a life or death decision. And
it very well may have been. In the end, after looking at data, talking with
parents, and consulting with doctors we decided that Dr. Starnes at Children’s
Hospital would be Elijah’s surgeon. But we were still left with the decision of
a cardiologist. We were overwhelmed with
all of the information and details and neither Dion nor I were prepared to make
that decision at that time.
It wasn’t until after Elijah was born and had survived the
Norwood that we made that choice. We called Dr. Sklansky and humbly asked if he
would be Elijah’s cardiologist. Now mind you, Dr. Sklansky is an incredibly
busy man who runs pediatric cardiology at UCLA. As in this man is the man. The man. Everyone at CHLA
loves him and there was not a person there that was not sorry that he left. When
we went to Dr. Sklansky for our consult before Elijah was born, he treated us,
Dion and I, like humans. Like parents grieving the loss of the child they
thought they had. And he prepared us for Elijah. For the sweet little baby with
half a heart. He sat with us for hours
when I was pregnant making sure that we understood what was happening. We wanted Dr. Sklansky. And Dr. Sklansky responded in kind. I
remember that phone call. Dr. Sklansky was happy to be Elijah’s cardiologist
and he was honored that we had chosen him. You need to understand that this man
is amazing. He is perhaps the best cardiologist on the west coast (I know I
know I know, I may be a little bias).
And he was honored to be Elijah’s cardiologist. I have never met a more
humble, kind, brilliant man.
The point of this post isn’t just to sing the praises of Dr.
Sklansky, although those praises are deserved. The point of this post is to
celebrate. A couple of days ago Dr. Sklansky called and invited our family to
the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new pediatric heart center at UCLA. This has been a very long time coming. You
see, before the new center, you had to travel all over the hospital for all of
your different procedures and appointments. This meant coming into contact with
all kind germs and very, very long appointment days. Under Dr. Sklansky’s
inspiration and vision, they have renovated and created a “one stop shop” for children
with CHDs. The place is awesome. We were honored to be a part of such an amazing
event to celebrate such a needed facility. However, it isn’t the facility that
makes the place what it is. It is the people. Dr. Sklansky, and our nurse
Ashley, have been nothing short of a God send. We are incredibly blessed to
have them in our lives guiding our son down this often scary and uncertain
path.
