Dec 13 2010 7:08PM. KXMBTV Bismarck. Like most new parents... McKenzie and Jason haven't been getting a ton of sleep since their baby was born.
But that all started when baby Rieken came out blue... needing an emergency procedure to live.
Amber Schatz shows us the family's little gift today.
Two-month-old Rieken barely makes a noise when he cries
It's because he's had breathing tubes in for nearly half of his life
(Mckenzie Cahill/Rieken's mom) "Every time I look at him, I look to see to make sure his lips and eyelids are the right color, not dusty or blue..." Rieken was born blue and intubated after doctors discovered he had a heart malformation
But before the newborn could even be held by his parents, Rieken needed a pediatric cardiologist like Dr. Fernandez to perform a life-saving procedure
(Dr. Fernandez St. Alexius Patricio Fernandez) "You inflate the balloon on the left side, and once you are on the left side you pull back the balloon, as far as you can to tear the atrial septum and increase the size of the hole between both chambers." He did a demonstration for the family before the procedure..
(McKenzie Cahill/Rieken's mom) "We didn't understand, we just kind of let it happen, he said it was the best for him, he said this is what he needs if you want him to live until he gets to the cities." Dr. Fernandez had to open the size of the hole between the infant's heart atriums
This gets the oxygen-depleted blood mixing properly before Rieken could be transported to Minneapolis for more heart surgery
But an infection cut that idea short
He was in the hospital for around a month before surgery... A luxury they could only wait on, because of Dr. Fernandez
(Family )48:18 "I don't really know what to say when I see him, because thank you doesn't seem like enough." (Fernandez) 23:06 "You can't be emotional, you have to be focused and do your job as best as you can to save the baby's life. And then after you see the results and see the surgery was done and the baby is doing fine, then you get a very nice fulfilling emotion." Rieken will have checkups with Dr. Fernandez every few months, but the family is mostly glad to avoid any hospitals for awhile 54:47 "Just being home, being able to pick him up whenever we want and change him without having to ask a nurse or a doctor." 45:38 " it's been an incredible rollercoaster of emotions, by far, if it wasn't for the support of our family and our jobs, there's no way we could have made it." The family has only been home for a couple weeks... and are hoping things quiet down... except for Rieken... They look forward to hearing his healthy lungs
(BROTHER BREKKEN) "He cries a lot." Big brother Brekken helps with the entertaining.. as the entire family heals from the ordeal 10:11 "looking at pics on phone nats" 51:45 "Big one's where they did the open heart." 57:02 "As he grows it'll get smaller but he'll always have it, he'll always have a story." A story of survival just in time for the holidays.. Amber Schatz, KX News.
Rieken's name means popular... He's already been visited by Vikings and Minnesota Gophers players while in the hospital. Dr. Fernandez is the only pediatrics cardiologist in the region.
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