Born With a Complex Condition, Jameson Has Bounced Back After Two Surgeries

Jameson’s resilient spirit and the dedicated team at Children’s helped get him back in the game.

At 2 days old, Jameson was diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot. This congenital heart condition occurs when a baby’s heart doesn’t form properly in the womb during pregnancy. It’s characterized by four heart defects, including a hole in the lower chambers of the heart, that change the way blood flows through the heart and to the lungs.

After a surprise pregnancy, Jameson’s parents, Jamie and Aundre, were delighted to have a smooth delivery, with no complications. They had no idea their baby had a heart condition. Like many newborns, Jameson had a heart murmur, but it wasn’t a concern until his care team realized that it wasn’t resolving on its own. On the day Jameson was getting discharged from the hospital, his doctor ordered further testing as a precaution.

“That’s when we found out he had a hole in his heart,” says his mom, Jamie. “They told us he would need surgery and referred us to a Children’s cardiologist. It was a very scary time—right in the beginning of the pandemic.”

That was March, 2020. Five months later, the family returned to Children’s so that cardiovascular surgeons could operate on Jameson’s heart. “Fortunately, all of these heart abnormalities are repairable,” says pediatric cardiologist Neill Videlefsky, MD.

Jameson’s open-heart surgery was a success, and his parents were hopeful this would be his last hospital stay for a while. “Things were going great for about six months. And then we noticed a knot on his throat,” says Jamie. Once again, the family turned to Children’s for specialized care.

Children’s ear, nose and throat specialists (ENTs) diagnosed Jameson with a thyroglossal duct cyst, a benign cyst on the thyroid gland, and determined that another surgery would be necessary to remove it. Compared to the heart surgery, this procedure was minor, and Jameson had another smooth recovery. “He really shocks me with how quickly he bounces back,” says Jamie. “They say children are resilient, and it’s true.”

“I don’t think the surgeries have hindered his life in any way. It’s made him stronger,” says Aundre. “He’s so upbeat. I don’t think he’s met a stranger. And being the little brother, I think he soaks up a lot of energy from his two siblings. He’s very active. He loves to ride his bike and play T-ball and hang out in the dugout with his brothers’ teams.”

Jameson is now 4 years old. While he still sees Dr. Videlefsky regularly for follow-up care, he’s healthy and thriving. “He has no restrictions. He can participate in all sporting activities, attend school, and his outlook is excellent for a normal lifespan,” says Dr. Videlefsky.

“My hopes for Jameson are that he keeps thriving, remains confident and doesn’t limit himself,” says Aundre.