Xandrea’s Story ---------------------------------------------------------
Xandrea Feliz Ramirez was born on May 23rd, 2004 in Lemoore, California.
At 2 days old, the doctors heard a murmur in her heart. At 4 days old the
doctors found a medium/large hole in her heart and it would not be able
to close on its own. Her parents, Roy and Amanda, followed up with the doctors
every 2 weeks and were told she would need surgery when Xandrea was 6 months
old. At 9 months old, the doctors found a leaky valve in her heart. Finally,
the day after her first birthday, Xandrea’s doctors could not wait
anymore and performed open-heart surgery to repair 4 different problems.
The Ramirez family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House while Xandrea was
in the hospital. During that time, Roy and Amanda took turns staying with
their daughter so she would not be alone.After the surgery, Xandrea was on 12 medications and 2 sedation drugs because she would not fall asleep. At one point the doctors had to restrain her because she was trying to pull the medical tubes out. It was so hard for her parents to see her in pain; Amanda could hardly watch as the doctors restrained her daughter. One thing that Roy and Amanda appreciated most while they stayed at the House was the comfort and support of the staff. They expected to be staying in a small room, and instead got a surprise when they saw the beautiful room they would be staying in. Just being able to take a shower and rest was such a relief for this family. The staff reached out to Roy and Amanda and offered support and comfort. Speaking to the other families that were staying at the House also helped them to realize they were not alone.
“Nikki reached out to our daughter like she was one of her own,” said Amanda. The staff helped them through this very difficult time and amazingly Xandrea was able to go home after only 7 days in the hospital. By looking at her, one would never know that she had open heart surgery and looks like a normal, healthy one-year old. This precious girl captured all of our hearts and we were all delighted to see her go home to her brothers and sisters who missed her so much.
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