Family celebrates baby girl’s 1st birthday and heart surgery milestone

A Chicago area family and Advocate Christ Medical Center will soon be celebrating a milestone and wanted to share the good news.   

Ella Sanchez is approaching her first birthday.

Ella’s mother Christina Sanchez is Ella’s mother. And during pregnancy with Ella, she and dad Juan, got the news no expecting couple ever wants to hear.

Ella was diagnosed with a rare and potentially fatal heart condition Shone’s Complex.

“It’s amazing. They’re able to diagnose her condition in utero,” she said. “They set us down in a room They drew a picture of what a normal heart is, and what her heart is and explained. It broke everything down to us (and were) very sympathetic, empathetic. They prepared us.”

At Ella’s delivery, everybody was ready for her arrival and to put the plan in motion to save her life.

That was March 10, 2024. Eight days later, Ella underwent er first heart surgery. At 2-months, she underwent the second.

“All you can do is pray,” Christina said. “And put your faith in the team. Which is an amazing team. I really appreciate the team. They really were there for our darkest moments for sure.”

“They did a great job referring us to go home, preparing us what to expect,” Juan said. “They do a really good job teaching us red flags on what to look for.”

Ella’s pediatric cardiologist Eleanor Ross says somewhere between good luck and state-of-the-art care, Ella is now thriving and better than ever.

Shone’s Complex affects the left side of the heart and its ability to pump blood. To correct it, healthy vessels from the right side are used to reconstruct the aorta. It’s called the Norwood Procedure.

In short time, the baby girl with the big eyes and rosy, red cheeks will turn the amazing milestone of 1-years-old and then eight days later, the family will have another party for why not sake’s. 

“For Ella’s first birthday, we’re going to have a heart theme,” Christina said. “It felt right and her heart-versary is eight days later. … They are so strong. They are so resilient and just soak in all those moments with your baby. It’s a long journey, but you will learn how strong these babies really are. They are so resilient.”