Adult heterotaxy hero, Nick Elizondo, shares his story...one of multiple diagnoses within a family, organ transplant and most importantly...HOPE.
"When I was born, I was really jaundiced and they knew right away that something was wrong with my liver; they realized that it wasn't connected. So, at 9 days old, I underwent a Kasai procedure to connect my liver to my intestines, leaving me with Biliary Atresia. I had my first open heart surgery at 1 year old... to be followed by 5 more, most recently in 2011 for aortic stenosis and total anomalous pulmonary venous return.
When I was 22 my liver began to show signs of failure. On January 18, 2013, I was placed on the liver transplant list at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. I waited for 1 year, 7 months, and 5 days before I received my liver on August 23, 2014. I have since recovered well and am looking forward to starting school in the spring.
My sister, Brittany Elizondo, was born with Heterotaxy also. She passed at 8 months though. She passed from Pulmonary Hypertension.
I was chosen to throw out the first pitch at a St.Louis Cardinals game for Transplant Day...a dream come true! My wife is my rock and I have the best family support."
(the lower left set of pics in the grid is Brittany)
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