A Vancouver couple's world was turned upside down after they were told their infant son would need life-saving surgery on his heart.
At only four months old, Sasha was diagnosed with a congenital mitral valve deformity that required open-heart surgery to replace a valve. He hadn't been feeling well for a week but the news came as a shock to parents Matt Corker and Chad Clark.
Prior to visiting BC Children's Hospital on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2021, the couple hadn't seen signs that there was anything significantly wrong with their new son, who they had through a surrogate.
Sasha was born on Aug. 22, 2020. While the family faced some challenges with visitations due to the pandemic, it wasn't until December that they brought him in for a checkup due to minor issues with sleeping and feeding.
"He just didn't seem as happy as he used to be," Matt told V.I.A., noting the physicians attributed it to acid reflux, which commonly peaks in infants around four months old.
"His heartbeat was normal and didn't show any signs of irregularity," he added.
But Sasha's health took a turn for the worst on the first day of the new year, as he refused to eat and looked extremely pale.
In 2021, only one parent could be inside the hospital with their child at a time due to COVID-19 restrictions, so Matt stayed with Sasha while Chad went back home. However, he had to return almost immediately after doctors determined the severity of his condition.
The family stayed in the hospital for a total of 12 days, alternating shifts so that one person was always with Sasha while the other prepared meals, brought clothes, and ran other necessary errands.
"There were those moments when I'd wake up from a nap and I didn't even want to put my shoes on," Matt recalled. "I thought, 'I don't want this to be my life right now.'
"The days were really hard and really dark."
After the successful surgery, the parents learned that there are three categories of heart failure: mild, moderate and severe.
"Sasha was experiencing a severe, plus, plus, plus," he noted.
"Sasha was unbelievably strong and it was really inspiring as his parents."
'I couldn't have done it without my husband,' says Vancouver dad
While he requires routine checkups, Sasha's condition is currently stable and he turns three in August. He will require a heart valve replacement at some point but doctors say they likely won't have to perform open-heart surgery again. Instead, they can do a laparoscopy through his leg.
Sasha enjoys swimming, running, and other cardiovascular-demanding activities without issue. Now, doctors have told the parents that the most challenging part of his recovery will be treating him like he is normal and not worrying about him, Matt described.
Matt and Chad say BC Children's Hospital provided Sasha with the best possible treatment and communicated with them throughout the entire process.
"They are doing such incredible work," Matt emphasized. "These patients are tiny. And so when we're talking about a heart valve, it's not like an adult-sized heart problem, where you have lots of tissue to work with. Like they're super, super small.
"And they have really effective and really innovative ways of dealing with it."
Matt also said having his husband with him through this devastating experience helped him stay strong.
"When you do have a kid, there are so many situations like the one that we experienced where it's just unimaginable circumstances," he said. "You know, we dream about all the good things and all the memories we want to create, but we never can even anticipate the things that they're going to bring home, whether it's heart disease, whether it's bullying, whether it's how to deal with the new technology... there are so many unimaginable circumstances.
"For me, I think back to the time at the hospital and just like looking across the bed and seeing my husband. I'm like, 'I'm so glad I get to do this with you, like no one else in the world that I could.'
"I couldn't have done it without my husband."
One in 100 children in British Columbia is born with a heart condition. The Heart Centre at BC Children’s Hospital cares for approximately 5,000 children and has more than 10,000 patient visits every year.
Thanks to travelling clinics, another 1,500 kids are cared for by BC Children’s experts in their home communities.
For more information on BC Children’s Hospital and to donate, visit them online.
