Penny An Nickels Was Born at 8:05 PM July 8th 2026

7lbs 2 oz

19.75 Inches long

At 1:00 on July 16th for her one week checkup the midwife sent them to the emergency room for breathing and heart issues.

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Penny has been diagnosed with critical coarctation of the aorta, a congenital heart defect in which a section of the aorta (the body's main artery) is severely narrowed. This makes it difficult for blood to reach the lower half of the body and forces the heart to work much harder. In newborns, the condition can become life-threatening once a normal fetal blood vessel (the ductus arteriosus) begins to close after birth, which is why urgent transfer to a specialized pediatric heart center for surgery is often necessary.

The exact cause is usually unknown. In most cases, coarctation of the aorta occurs sporadically during early fetal development. 

The good news is that the prognosis is generally very good when the condition is recognized and repaired promptly. Surgery to remove or repair the narrowed section of the aorta has a high success rate, and most children go on to live active, healthy lives.

Penny was flown to Rochester MN from Bismark Sanford Hospital jusy after 12 am on July 17th. She was accompanied by Joe’s sister in law who is also a trained medical personnel who I doing an excellent job sending updates. 

Joe and Rose stayed the night with family in Bismark and will be making the 7.5 hour drive on July 17th.

Thank you for all your prayers and support

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