According to a story from milanmirrorexchange.com, Lincoln Hopper, who will be turning two years old soon, was recently admitted to the hospital after showing indicators of heart failure. This is a result of a rare condition Lincoln was born with called heterotaxy. His parents, Zach Hopper and Chelsea Cunningham, were told that he wouldn’t be able to leave the hospital until he got a heart transplant. The family is now stuck waiting for an eligible heart to appear for the operation.
About Heterotaxy
Heterotaxy, which is also known as situs ambiguus, is a defect in which many of the body’s internal organs are not in their typical position within the body. It is probably most characterized by problems with heart function, which can impact as much as 80 percent of heterotaxy patients. The precise cause of the condition remains a mystery, but risk factors such as cocaine use by the mother and a family history of malformations have been identified. Symptoms include defects of the heart and blood vessels, liver and digestive tract impairments, poor circulation, poor feeding, shallow breathing, failure to thrive, and jaundice. Symptoms tend to vary depending on how the arrangement of the organs has changed. Treatment is symptomatic and often includes surgeries to correct various defects and malformations. The condition can be fatal in the most severe cases. To learn more about heterotaxy, click here.
A Race Against Time
Lincoln’s heart has only a single ventricle and it is positioned on the right side of his chest instead of the left side. In addition, he is missing a spleen, his liver is flipped over, and his lungs aren’t symmetrical. The longer the boy has to wait, the worse his condition will become. Getting a heart transplant will be especially difficult for patient Lincoln’s age as the donor will also have to be between two to five years in age.
If a heart doesn’t come quick enough, the toddler’s life could be in jeopardy. For now the family are just hoping and praying that the operation can happen in time.
