Meet Braeden

When Braeden’s mom was pregnant, doctors discovered Braeden had a severe congenital heart defect. After he was born, Braeden needed four open-heart surgeries to repair his heart, with the first at just three days old. While his first heart surgery went well, Braeden also had a paralyzed vocal cord and diaphragm. Eventually Braeden’s vocal cord healed on its own, but unfortunately his diaphragm didn’t. After spending 63 days at the Stollery, Braeden was strong enough to go home but needed to be on oxygen.  

At four months old, Braeden’s health started to decline, so back to the Stollery they went. After 62 days, a second open-heart surgery, diaphragm surgery and a brief stay in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, Braeden was once again able to go home – this time without oxygen support.  

Braeden’s treatment was on track, but around his second birthday, he began losing some of his gross motor skills, and his range of motion was dwindling. Doctors discovered Braeden had juvenile idiopathic arthritis and scoliosis, which would require further treatment after his heart repairs were complete. Braeden had his final open-heart surgery when he was three years old, and he began scoliosis treatment when he was four.

Braeden has had more than a dozen surgeries and continues to visit the Stollery regularly, and each time his family is thankful for the world-class children’s hospital here in Edmonton.