Overcoming Double Aortic Arch: Raya’s Story
It started out like a fairytale. Kierra and Delmas Hoye met, fell in love, and wanted to have a family right away. After only three months of trying, Kierra, 28, couldn’t wait to tell her husband Delmas, 30, the great news – that she was pregnant and they could start planning for the arrival of their first child.
We felt so lucky. The beginning of the pregnancy was super routine and other than dealing with some serious nausea, I was the happiest woman in the world,
said Kierra, an eighth-grade science teacher.
Kierra’s mother and grandmother traveled from Waco, Texas, for the 20-week ultrasound. It was so great to have them watch and listen as the sonographer pointed out each body part of our precious baby girl,
Kierra said.
A few days later, however, her obstetrician called to say she needed to consult with a maternal-fetal medicine doctor. The ultrasound revealed Kierra had a “low-lying placenta” and it was recommended she have a second scan two weeks later.
No one had said anything to make me think a low-lying placenta was a big deal,
Kierra said. I thought I was going for another ultrasound so the specialist could get a baseline scan. I even went to the appointment alone.
Double Aortic Arch Diagnosis
The ultrasound tech performed the scan and talked to Kierra about the baby.
Everything was fine, until it wasn’t,” Kierra said. “She said, ‘Here's her heart, here’s her lungs.’ It seemed completely routine. But then she excused herself and went to get the doctor.
Dr. James Hill, director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division at CHRISTUS Children’s in San Antonio, walked into the small room, lit only by the glow of the ultrasound screen. After a quick look, he confirmed Kierra had partial placenta previa – a condition that occurs when the placenta is attached very low in the uterus.
In Kierra’s case, the placenta was only partially covering the cervix. The expectant mom felt relieved to hear that news. But then she noticed Dr. Hill hadn’t moved a muscle. “He said, ‘I’m not seeing what I need to see on this scan when it comes to the baby’s heart,” Kierra recalled, saying he then said, “I want to be wrong about this but I don’t think I am.”
Dr. Hill noticed a rare congenital heart defect on the scan: a double aortic arch. This occurs when a vascular ring forms around the baby’s trachea (airway) and esophagus (food pipe). If the ring compresses these structures, it can cause difficulty breathing and feeding. Surgery is needed to correct the defect.
“Nobody wants to hear that something is wrong with their baby,” Kierra said. “I was all alone hearing this information and I was panicking. But Dr. Hill was kind and thoughtful in the way he explained everything to me. I think that made a world of difference.”
CHRISTUS Children's The Heart Center
The Heart Center at CHRISTUS Children's provides comprehensive care to children with heart problems. Our integrated group of specialists bring together a multidisciplinary approach from many specialties to care for children with heart defects.
Raya is Born
On Oct. 16, 2024, Kierra gave birth to her daughter, Raya Grace at CHRISTUS Children’s with Dr. Angela Akonye, an OB-GYN. She weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Although Raya was already a cardiac patient and would need heart surgery soon, the placenta moved enough to avoid the need for a Cesarean section.
My husband cut the umbilical cord, we took a quick photo with Raya and they whisked her away to be cared for,
Kierra said, noting six nurses were on hand to take the baby to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
I didn't even know what she looked like until four hours later,
Kierra said. By the time I saw her, she was covered in tubes and wires. It was scary but, in the NICU, the nurses were amazing. We got to touch our baby and that was wonderful.
Preparing for Heart Surgery
When Raya was 2 days old, she underwent a CT scan so Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Victor Bautista-Hernandez could get a clear image of her heart.
Kierra and Delmas decided to put their faith in Dr. Bautista from the minute they met him. He is so intelligent,
Kierra said. I thought he must be the smartest man on earth. He gave us so much confidence. He made us feel like he was going to come in, fix her and Raya is going to have a great life.
Raya underwent heart surgery on Oct. 23, 2024. Kierra and Delmas arrived at CHRISTUS Children’s at 5:45 a.m.
Kierra said that during the procedure the constant updates and communication between the surgical team and parents was fantastic and comforting. She could hardly describe the sense of relief she felt when the surgeon came out to tell the parents that baby Raya was in great shape after surgery.
While in the NICU, Kierra felt Raya was quite a lucky little girl. She was cared for by the best doctors and she had so many nurses who were amazing,
Kierra said. Every nurse was the sweetest person and we really developed such a nice relationship with all of them.
No Longer a Heart Patient
After 19 days at CHRISTUS Children’s, Raya was discharged and finally was able to go home and sleep in her very own crib.
Raya is perfect
Kierra said. She has such a big personality! She is so alert and is progressing so well. Dr. Bautista said her heart is very healthy now.
In fact, Raya is not even technically considered a cardiac patient any longer. She will have a follow-up visit at six months and again when she’s 2 years old. But aside from those visits, unless something pops up, she has a long, wonderful life ahead of her.
Raya will not remember the first frightening 19 days of her life. Someday, we will tell her the whole story, and she will know how loved she was, not only by our family but by the doctors and nurses who took such amazing care of her, Kierra promised. She will always know how important she is, and we pray she will have a happy, healthy life.
Learn more about the pediatric cardiology program at CHRISTUS Children’s in San Antonio.
