Zephan Bjorkman defied the odds when he was born prematurely at 29 weeks. Doctors were skeptical of his chances of survival.
Upon birth, it was discovered that Zephan had a rare heart condition called “double inlet left ventricle with malposed great vessels.” This meant that his heart only had one functioning pumping chamber instead of two. While a normal heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through the body and oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs separately, Zephan’s heart was mixing the two types of blood.
This heart defect is incredibly rare, occurring in only one in 10,000 babies. Even so, it is not considered one of the most severe congenital heart defects.
Despite his challenges, Zephan has already experienced many miracles. The first miracle was simply surviving his birth. The second was a partial blockage in his pulmonary artery, known as pulmonary stenosis. While this condition would be worrisome for a normal heart, it actually gave Zephan a chance to grow before needing further surgeries.
On June 17, Zephan is scheduled to undergo his first operation. A second operation will follow when he is between 18 and 24 months old. During these surgeries, the blood flow in Zephan’s heart will be rerouted, allowing for better oxygen distribution.
The survival rates for these surgeries at Mott Children’s Hospital are promising, with a 90 percent success rate for the first surgery and a 98 percent success rate for the second. Zephan’s doctors are optimistic that he will lead a quality life, although his heart defect will still impact him. As for his long-term prognosis, it is uncertain due to the relative newness of this type of surgery.
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He was my nephew and he is loved and missed!