LDL. Military Family Fights to Protect Baby After Delayed Heart Surgery Leads to Brain Injury
A military family is sharing the story of their baby daughter, Evelyn, after a delayed heart surgery left her with a severe brain injury — and a warning to other families about the importance of timely care.
Leslie, Evelyn’s mother, says that during her pregnancy in New Mexico, a doctor diagnosed her baby in utero with a rare heart condition called a vascular ring. At 29 weeks, she was warned that Evelyn would likely need surgery immediately after birth.
After transferring to San Antonio, the family says the surgery was delayed despite repeated concerns. Leslie and her husband felt something was wrong, and as a military family, securing second opinions and specialized care required referrals and approvals that slowed the process.
At just six weeks old, Evelyn stopped breathing in her parents’ arms. Leslie and her husband performed CPR until first responders arrived. While CPR saved her life, the lack of oxygen caused a severe brain injury.
Today, Evelyn is alive and will turn eight months old this week. However, her life has been permanently altered due to the brain injury.
Leslie believes Evelyn’s outcome could have been very different if her condition had been addressed sooner. She is now advocating for other military families to push for timely care and second opinions if something feels wrong. She is also emphasizing CPR training for parents and caregivers, crediting it with saving Evelyn’s life.
Her family hopes that sharing Evelyn’s story will reach far and wide, serving both as a warning and as inspiration for advocacy.
