A “Heartfelt” Thanks from a Local Heart Mom

(edits January 2020 from an Originally Published article in the FOHS November 2018 newsletter)

Through the generosity of the First Open Heart Society of British Columbia, a local young man has twice received financial support for his heart-related medical treatments in Vancouver. Liam Tsukijima was born prematurely (28 weeks gestation) in January 1998, with a congenital heart defect: Hypoplastic Right Ventricle. He required a Blalock-Taussig Shunt (closed heart surgery) within his first month when he weighed 3 pounds. Soon after, he required a Bi-Directional Glenn Shunt (open heart surgery) in October 1998. Finally, Liam had a Fontan procedure (open heart surgery) in June 2000.

His mom, Judy, was very grateful to receive funds from the FOHS in May 2000 to cover some of her personal travel expenses during Liam’s Fontan procedure at BC Children’s Hospital. After recovering from his Fontan, Liam had a normal life, attending public schools on the Saanich Peninsula, and working part-time at the Thrifty Foods in Central Saanich. At Liam’s routine cardiology appointment at St. Paul’s Hospital in July 2018 at age 20, his stress test found that he was in complete heart blockage. He was initially scheduled for an epicardial pacemaker implant at St. Paul’s Hospital, but his file was transferred to BC Children’s Hospital and scheduled for late August 2018. Although the BC Children’s Hospital’s surgeon had hoped to implant the pacemaker in a less invasion manner, during surgery he found that there was too much scar tissue on Liam’s heart and the pacemaker needed to be implanted via sternotomy (sternal incision). Again, the FOHS was there to support Liam and his mom by providing funding for their accommodation at Easter Seals House during his initial pre-admission clinic appointment and pacemaker implant surgery until Liam’s discharge from the hospital. Liam returned back to Vancouver Island on September 12th, 2018 and was able to start a gradual return-to-work plan on October 15th.

Both Judy, and Liam will always be grateful for the financial support provided by the FOHS to help offset the unplanned costs related to his heart surgeries, and hope that board members and donors realize how their generosity can make a huge impact on local families.