Daniella’s heart a Christmas miracle from God

Had any of the myriad complications that threatened baby Daniella Douglas’ heart surgery two weeks ago materialised, the world would have been denied her rambunctious laughter, infectious dance moves and adorable personality.

It would have been denied the generosity with which the one-year-old handed strangers her toys, and the humour with which she yanked them back, her daring eyes piercing with joy and mischief.

Recalling the heart-stopping fear that gripped them just weeks ago, it was not lost on her family that without a miracle, this Christmas would be anything but merry for them.

So paralysed were they at the thought of losing their baby, that they were flooded with thoughts that the holiday would have been a pall of gloom, where funeral arrangements would have replaced food preparations, and where Christmas carols would have been silenced by wailing.

It would have been a heartbreak no words could describe or bring comfort.

On Wednesday as she sat down with The Sunday Gleaner at the family home in Morant Bay in St Thomas, mother Yanique Reid burst into tears recounting how fearful they were for their little angel.

But, thankfully, all their fears were for naught.

All thanks to the generosity and steady hands of surgeons from the Chain of Hope mission from the United Kingdom, the loving doctors and nursing staff at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, and the plethora of prayers, perhaps none greater than those of Daniella’s 10-year-old big sister, Daynia.

“God heard my prayers and He saw me crying. He was never going to let my tears waste,” affirmed Daynia, now the main victim of her baby sister’s many tricks and games.

“I know she wasn’t going to die. I knew it.”

Having Daniella spend her first Christmas at home is a miracle and a gift mom, dad and sister say they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

FIRST OF ITS KIND IN JAMAICA

The complex heart surgery on Daniella’s one-year-old heart was the first of its kind in Jamaica, Chain of Hope noted.

Daniella was born in November 2022, and during a clinic checkup weeks after her birth one observant nurse raised concerns about her breathing. Unbeknown to her parents at the time, those concerns were the start of a whirlwind of trouble.

It was soon revealed that the child was suffering from ALCAPA, or anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery, a defect present at birth where the heart is not being properly serviced with oxygen from the blood.

Put simply, young Daniella’s heart was failing. The organ was pumping poorly and as a result water was gathering in her lungs. If she could speak, doctors said, she would have been complaining of chronic chest pains, shortness of breath and fatigue, and soon after her weight would have been impacted.

This year, Chain of Hope celebrated its 20th year of work in cardiac care at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, treating 10 minors suffering from various heart conditions. Most of them were born with the illnesses which, outside of the intervention of Chain of Hope, would have cost their parents millions to treat … or worse, die as a result of their condition.

In Daniella’s case, it would have cost her parents US$84,000 to fly her overseas for treatment, a feat that despite their best efforts could not have been achieved.

FELT OVERWHELMED AND WEAK

“When I heard what she had, just hearing the term and hearing that it is a heart condition, I just felt overwhelmed and weak. I know I can’t control that,” Daniella’s father, Delando, shared with The Sunday Gleaner, as he recounted hearing the news of his daughter’s heart condition for the first time.

“What worried me even more is that we were told at the clinic in St Thomas that we must go straight to Bustamante Hospital.”

The following months were rough, he said.

Daniella had to travel to Kingston from Morant Bay every two weeks for treatment. And to make matters worse, there was ongoing construction on the St Thomas leg of the highway, which increased travel times and expenses.

The doctors had informed them that Daniella needed surgery to correct the problem, which was best to do before she turned one. After that, the complications could worsen.

Delando said he had sleepless nights thinking of ways to raise the funds needed to treat his baby girl.

Luckily, the baby’s condition seemed to improve with medication, and her chances of recovering from a surgery improved remarkably, the doctors said.

Within months, she was placed on the list of children to benefit from the Chain of Hope initiative. While her parents were happy at the news, a new set of worries crept in, especially for her father, about her chances of survival from the surgery.

“From I heard about the surgery, I just told myself that it didn’t make sense that I worry too much. I talked to the church and persons that I know, and I asked them to pray,” recalled Yanique. “Delando, however, was very worried. I just said, ‘Let God have His way’.”

Mom Yanique recalled that “leading up to the surgery, we couldn’t let anything happen to her. Not even a cold”, noting that their lives had to be rearranged and even bathing patterns had to change to ensure no mishaps.

‘MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH’

The hardest part of the family’s ordeal came the night before the five-hour surgery, which kept them on edge. Fear of losing Daniella overwhelmed them.

By then, Daniella had become a favourite among hospital staff and her antics were well known. Recalling her mischievous, playful nature that made them smile, her parents did everything to pass the time and distract themselves from any negative thoughts.

The news could not come soon enough that their angel had finally come out of surgery with spectacular results and no complications.

It was a Christmas miracle from God, declared mom, dad and big sister.

Weeks later, baby Daniella is now recovering quite well, evident from her romping, dancing, laughter and vigour at her home on Wednesday.

Even if there were no Christmas dinner, Daniella’s successful surgery was enough to fill their stomachs, the family said, giving thanks and praises to Chain of Hope and the Bustamante Hospital staff, who they said were nothing short of remarkable.

“This was a matter of life and death. I hoped for the best for her little heart,” shared Jennifer Higgins, Daniella’s babysitter. “I just have to give the doctors and God all the thanks and praises. I have two sons and no daughters so she is my daughter. I love her so much.”

MAKE A COMMITMENT TO HELP A CHILD RECEIVE A HEALTHIER HEART

Last week, head of the Chain of Hope UK mission to Jamaica, Dr Victor Tsang, was pleased to hear that Daniella was recovering well.

This year’s mission to Jamaica was his second, having visited the island 20 years ago. He said he did six surgeries while on the island this year and praised staff at the Bustamante Hospital for Children for their dedication to service.

“I enjoyed it. I love the people and I can see the progress that the programme has made. The last time I came, the facilities were a bit suboptimal, but now there is a designated building for the cardiac programme, a dedicated operating theatre, and a dedicated intensive care ward. So I think that has been very satisfying indeed,” Tsang told The Sunday Gleaner, adding that there needs to be continuous buy-in by the Jamaican Government.

“The Chain of Hope can come in and help, but for the longer, future term, the cardiac programme at Bustamante must be supported by the Government, which will aid in the success of serving the people of Jamaica,” said the cardiothoracic surgeon.

He declared, “Make a commitment this Christmas to help a child receive a healthier heart!”

Persons and organisations can assist the Chain of Hope initiative by donating to @ChainofHope and @ChainofhopeJa.org.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com