Life has been Great for Hunter

Hunter’s heart problems were discovered before he was even born. When his mother, Renee, was about four months pregnant, an ultrasound showed that he suffered from congenital heart block, a condition that means his heart beats more slowly than it should to sustain his normal activities. Although it sounds highly unusual, many infants diagnosed with this condition receive pacemakers before their first birthday.

Hunter received his pacemaker when he was only one day old. Doctors told the family that Hunter would always need a pacemaker to regulate this condition.

“Even though we knew he’d need a pacemaker and we knew he’d have to have surgery right after he was born, it was still a shock when it happened,” his father Michael remembered. Baby Hunter had pacemaker implantation while his mother was still recovering in the hospital from his birth.

Today Hunter is a thriving, healthy eight-year-old boy, thanks to his current device, the Identity® ADx pacemaker. His mother is “very grateful for St. Jude Medical pacemakers.” Hunter loves arts and crafts, collecting baseball cards and playing with his friends at school.

“Today, I almost forget he has a pacemaker,” his father commented. “We like to play and wrestle and sometimes my wife reminds me that he’s got a pacemaker.” The pacemaker has actually put few restrictions on Hunter. While he can run and play with other kids, he has to avoid contact sports and any activity that might cause him to get hit where the pacemaker is implanted.

“He really doesn’t know anything else,” Renee commented. “He’s an active, healthy little boy.” His parents are prepared for the fact that he will need a pacemaker for the rest of his life. Routine follow-up visits are going to be on his calendar through his adult life.

“It’s really not a big deal,” his father Michael observed. “He can do just about anything the other kids can do.”