Lifesaving Cardiac Surgery for Cannon

Colin held his newborn son Cannon briefly before an ambulance rushed him to our hospital for emergency heart surgery. Cannon had three congenital heart defects, including a coarctation, or narrowing of the aorta. “Pediatric cardiologists at Children’s National had a solution,” Colin says. “I’m so grateful these specialists show up to work every day to save lives.”

Yves d’Udekem, MD, PhD, our chief of Cardiac Surgery, performed a complex procedure to correct Cannon’s heart defects. Colin was alone at our hospital while his wife Laurie remained in another after giving birth. He didn’t want to take his eyes off his son. “I was pacing and nervous, but one glimpse of these professionals gave me a great feeling. A huge calm came over me. I knew Cannon had the best care possible.”

After surgery, Dr. d’Udekem confirmed Cannon was healthy and would require no additional surgeries. “Dr. d'Udekem told us that the aorta should be shaped like a candy cane and that he’d give him a beautiful arch," Colin says. "That's what he did and it works perfectly. The scar on Cannon’s chest shows his strength and that of the doctors and staff at Children’s National. Thanks to them, my wife Laurie and I were able to bring home a healthy baby brother to our older son, Colin, Jr. and be a family.”