She had the restrictive form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and her body was turning blue from problems caused by a blood clot.
Her father Chris Janusas said her body was basically dying and the doctors left the decision up to them.
"I think the hardest decision for both of our lives was to take her off the life support."
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the second most common form of heart muscle disease. It causes the heart muscle to thicken and stiffen, making it hard for the heart to relax.
Feb. 27 will mark one year since Kayley died from the blood clot that made its way up her leg to block capillaries throughout her body.
As she sat in her kitchen Wednesday, Stephanie Janusas remembered the first signs there was something wrong with her daughter.
She said Kayley seemed healthy at first, but didn't gain any weight after her first birthday, would get frequent ear and lung infections, had stomach problems and was always in and out of the hospital.
"They never even had time to put her folder away because we were in there so often."
Doctors in the Miramichi told her Kayley had pneumonia, treated her and eventually she got better. Christmas and New Years came and went, but it wasn't long before Stephanie had to take her to the hospital again with the same symptoms and stomach pain.
It was during that visit a doctor noticed Kayley's liver was extended and after another doctor confirmed it, they told Stephanie they could tell it was going on for a while because of how extended the liver was.
"I don't know what else to do. I'm in here every week," Stephanie said.
Kayley gained six pounds in one week as fluid started to build up in her body. Her doctors contacted the IWK Hospital in Halifax where they said to get an ultrasound of her heart.
Stephanie said the Miramichi hospital didn't have ultrasound equipment for children so they used the regular ultrasound.
"Clearly it showed her heart was enlarged."
The situation was serious enough for Kayley and her mother to fly to the IWK in an air ambulance. Once there, the hospital conducted more tests and gave her diuretics to get rid of the fluid build-up.
Chris was five days into a six-week tour working in Labrador when he found out about Kayley and flew to Halifax to meet his wife and daughter. He said when he heard the news, he never thought it would have ended they way it did.
"I was OK, it was probably more serious, but I never thought it would result in death."
From Halifax, the family went to the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto on Feb. 14. They put Kayley on the transplant list and while they waited for a new heart, Chris went back to Hardwicke to get things ready to move to Toronto where they planned to live while they waited for a transplant.
Chris said he explained to Kayley he had to leave and gave her a kiss goodnight before he made the drive home.
"I never talked to her again after that, pretty much."
Everything seemed to be going well and Kayley was even riding her tricycle in the hallway the day before he went home. While he was away the blood clot moved up her leg and even though her doctors cleared it out of her aorta, they couldn't clear her capillaries.
Chris didn't know about it until he got home and said when he left Toronto he worried she would go in for a heart transplant while he was away.
"I never thought she'd pass away in that time."
When they couldn't do any more, Kayley's doctors put her on life support to keep her lungs and heart working. Stephanie could tell things weren't improving and although her daughter wasn't conscious, she leaned in and told her it was OK for her to finally let go.
"Sweet pea, you did such a good fight. Mommy loves you. If it hurts too much it's OK to go," Stephanie said.
Kayley died the next day.
Looking back at everything that happened, Stephanie said her daughter wasn't like a regular three-year-old and she touched everyone who knew her.
"The spirit in her was just beautiful."
One of the things Stephanie said she learned from the experience was people think only adults have heart disease and it often gets overlooked in children.
"Be aware of symptoms. Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion."
Stephanie said Kayley's form of cardiomyopathy is genetic and even though there wasn't a history of heart disease in her family it can happen.
"It's just to show that you never think it's going to happen to you."
The Janusas' have a six-year-old son named Owen and Stephanie said when she heard the disease was genetic she was scared he would develop it too.
"I was just petrified. I was praying so much that Owen wouldn't be affected."
So far Owen hasn't shown any signs of the disease, but doctors have been checking him regularly to make sure it doesn't develop.
He understands what happened, to a certain extent, but it was a big surprise for him when they came home without his sister, she said.
"Moms save everybody so not coming home with Kayley was a disappointment."
Stephanie said any time he has questions about what happened they are honest with him.
"You've got to be really straightforward with that boy because he'll see right through you."
For Chris, he still replays what happened in his mind sometimes while lying in bed at night and the decision they made still haunts him at times.
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