Jonathan Orellana

Jonathan Orellana was born in Bolivia about 16 years ago. As a little boy, he tired easily and could not keep up with his playmates. Small for his age, he struggled in school and on the playground. After visiting several doctors and specialists, Jonathan was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

In simplest terms, Jonathan’s heart was different. In the healthy heart, the right ventricle pumps oxygen-depleted blood out over the lungs, while the left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body. For Jonathan, these pumping functions were reversed. His body was being starved of the oxygenated blood it needed. As a result, his heart had to pump more and work harder than a normal heart to accomplish less.

Unfortunately, Jonathan’s parents were unable to find a local specialist who could treat a condition as complex as Jonathan’s condition. Physicians in Bolivia speculated that he might have to travel to the United States to find an expert in pediatric cardiology who could undertake the delicate surgery on his tiny heart.

During that time, Felix and Ana Maria Orellana had another child, a son named Sebastian. Although Sebastian was about a decade younger than Jonathan, the contrast between the boys was startling. Sebastian was a high-energy little boy while his brother could barely manage to put in a day in the classroom.

The Orellanas moved to Houston, Texas USA, about five years ago after having identified a hospital that specialized in the kind of surgery that Jonathan needed.

Melissa Lewellen was the nurse when Jonathan had his open-heart surgery.

“It was a major surgery, but Jonathan came through just fine,” Melissa reported. After his operation and recovery, Jonathan required a pacemaker to keep his repaired heart beating at a proper rhythm.

Melissa transferred to the pacemaker group at the hospital and still sees Jonathan regularly. “He comes in for his check-ups,” she said. His picture is displayed in her office. “He’s doing fine.”

Fine is an understatement. Today, Jonathan is practically a new person. He has grown physically and emotionally and possesses more energy and stamina. Although he favors drawing and video games, he can play basketball and soccer. He has a lot of friends at school in Katy, Texas USA, and enjoys normal teenage activities.

Despite the fact that Jonathan now attends school in his second language (English), he’s made big improvements in his school work. His heart disease caused him to miss a lot of classes in Bolivia. Now he’s a good student who easily keeps up with his peers.

“The change is huge,” his mother stated. “He eats more, he can run and play as hard as his friends, and his self-esteem is greater.” Although Jonathan will need a pacemaker for the rest of his life, his prognosis is good now that his heart has been surgically repaired.

“The whole ordeal helped us grow emotionally and spiritually as a family,” Ana Maria Orellana concluded. “Now with the pacemaker, we are so much more confident about our future!”