Guadalupe “Lupita” is an 11 year old young lady who lives with her parents in Mesa, Arizona. She entered into the Gift of Life-Arizona program in 2009 with a diagnosis of and Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and a Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (PAPVR).

An ASD is a perforation in the wall between the top two (Atrium) pumping chambers in the heart. According to The American Heart Association, “Normally, the left side of the heart only pumps blood to the body, and the right side of the heart only pumps blood to the lungs. In a child with ASD, blood can travel across the hole from the left upper heart chamber (left atrium) to the right upper chamber (right atrium) and out into the lung arteries. Children with an ASD often have no symptoms. If the opening is small, it won't cause symptoms because the heart and lungs don't have to work harder. If the opening is large, the only abnormal finding may be a murmur (noise heard with a stethoscope) and other abnormal heart sounds. In children with a large ASD, the main risk is to the blood vessels in the lungs because more blood than normal is being pumped there. Over time, usually many years, this may cause permanent damage to the lung blood vessels”.

With a PAPVR one or two of the pulmonary veins return blood to the right atrium instead of the left atrium. According to the Levine Children’s Hospital, “many people with PAPVR also have an (ASD). Because some oxygen-rich blood is continually flowing between the lungs and the right atrium, the right chambers of the heart may become dilated.  Over time, this may cause an abnormal heart rhythm.  In addition, too much blood flow to the lungs may increase the pressure in the lungs blood vessels, leading to a condition called pulmonary hypertension”.

Lupita received her corrective open-heart heart surgery on Monday April 18, 2011 at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center performed by Dr. Christopher Derby and on April 22nd she was discharged from the hospital. Since the surgery she has more energy a healthier appetite and is active playing with her friends. She has been given a clean bill of health to return to school and a positive prognosis for a normal healthy and productive life.