Detroit — A Rochester Hills 1-year-old born with a rare heart condition and his family returned on Monday to the Detroit hospital that saved the toddler’s life to deliver gifts that they hope can help other families.
In late January, doctors at Children’s Hospital of Michigan placed Edison Waatti, who was six months old at the time, on a lifesaving machine while he was being treated at the hospital for a fast heartbeat and low blood pressure.
More than six months later, with his heart issues now resolved, Edison, his two brothers and his parents brought toys and supplies, enough to fill up two rolling carts, to the hospital on Monday for families staying there. They had asked their relatives and friends to donate gifts, said Paul Waatti, Edison’s father.
“We’re just so thankful to be celebrating Edison’s first birthday,” he said, “and as a way of acknowledging so many faces that I see here who helped along the way and to maybe share a little bit of light with other families who might be going through their darkest times… Instead of giving gifts for Edison’s first birthday, we asked our friends and family to donate.”
Edison, who turned 1 on Aug. 5, has Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a condition in which there is an extra electrical pathway for signals to move through the heart, the Cleveland Clinic said. WPW can cause the heart to beat out of control and can create an abnormal flow of blood through the body, according to Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
In January, Kim and Paul Waatti took Edison, known as Eddie, to a community hospital after Kim noticed an excessive heartbeat as her 6-month-old lay on her chest. That hospital ultimately called Children’s Hospital of Michigan, which sent an ambulance for Eddie. Tests later showed Edison has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Around 12 to 14 hours into his stay at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Eddie was placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, said Dr. Mamdouh Al-Ahmadi, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon. It kept him alive while his medical providers determined how to best treat his abnormal heart function, according to Children’s Hospital of Michigan. He stayed on the machine from Jan. 29 to to February 3, and he was discharged from the hospital on February 23.
The Waatti family, along with friends, celebrated Eddie’s 1st birthday at home in Rochester Hills earlier this month. But on Monday, the family delivered a variety of toys and supplies to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, such as seats for babies and SEQUENCE for Kids.
Hospital staff members gathered around Eddie to sing him happy, and his parents delivered gifts. Later in the gathering, they ate birthday cake to celebrate.
Paul Waatti said Eddie doesn’t have any restrictions now when it comes to activities, and he is taking medications.
“He’s thriving,” Kim Waatti said.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Oakland Co. boy, 1, born with rare heart condition returns to hospital to thank staff
Reporting by Anne Snabes, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Anne Snabes, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
