As a newborn, Beau Turfle underwent a lifesaving surgery at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center after he was diagnosed with a heart condition called total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR).
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Newswise — Beau Turfle is all smiles, says his family. But even at 3 months old, he’s already overcome a life-threatening heart concern.
At 37-weeks pregnant, Ashley Turfle and her husband, Ryan, of Libertytown, Maryland, were told findings from their son’s ultrasound indicated a possible congenital heart defect. Their doctor recommended an echocardiogram of the baby’s heart once he was born.
Two weeks later, on Nov. 1, 2023, Beau was born, but a few hours later, something wasn’t right. “I noticed his coloring was purple,” Ashley says. Beau was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit. After Beau had an echocardiogram, the family was told there was a concern with their newborn’s pulmonary vein connected to his heart, and that he wasn’t getting enough oxygen. He was transferred to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore for specialized care.
Once they were at Johns Hopkins, doctors confirmed that Beau had a heart condition called total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), which affects about 1 in every 7,809 babies born in the U.S. each year. His pulmonary veins were not in the usual position, causing oxygen-rich blood to go to the wrong part of the heart so that oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood mixed together, which was leading to breathing difficulty. He would need an urgent surgery to restore normal blood flow to his heart.
“It was a whirlwind of emotions,” Ashley recalls. “They explained that complications can happen. But everyone at the hospital made us feel so comfortable, I wasn’t worried about the surgery.”
Five days after Beau’s birth, Bret Mettler, M.D., director of pediatric surgery and co-director of the Blalock-Taussig-Thomas Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center at the Children’s Center, performed open-heart surgery on him. Mettler says the surgery went well.
Almost 20 days after he was born, Beau was able to go home with the help of additional oxygen support. He now has routine checkups with Carmel Bogle, M.D., pediatric cardiologist at the Children’s Center. He is being weaned off the additional oxygen support, and is doing physical and occupational therapy.
Beau’s doctors say he is growing and developing well, and his family says they couldn’t be more grateful.
“Johns Hopkins Children’s Center is a hospital for kids, like Beau, who have complex heart disease,” Mettler says. “The surgeons and physicians here are specialists in the care of neonatal heart disease. From delivery to post-operative care, our team is able to care for babies with pediatric cardiac conditions, and that’s one of the benefits of coming to Johns Hopkins.”
Ashley Turfle and Beau’s physicians, Mettler and Bogle, are available for interviews.
February is American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about heart health among adults and children.
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