When Nicole* came to WGA at 15, she was living with a congenital heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The scary syndrome is not very common (1-3 per 1000 people) and results in an electrical abnormality in the heart that can cause fast heartbeats and result in passing out without warning. It was first diagnosed when Nicole was 13 after she had a few fainting episodes. For a variety of reasons, follow-up visits to a cardiologist were unsuccessful after her diagnosis, and her condition remained untreated.
That all changed when Nicole came to WGA and was seen by one of WGA’s doctors for a routine physical. Upon learning of the young girl’s condition, staff advocated for her to get proper treatment.
“We coordinated with her parent, medical specialists and insurance providers to schedule the procedure she needed,” recalls William Shepherd, MD, Medical Director of WGA’s Medical Clinic. “Our staff made a lot of phone calls to find her the appropriate pediatric cardiologist and manage all the logistics.”
With a WGA nurse by her side, Nicole traveled to New York City to have a procedure known as a cardiac ablation.
“The procedure itself can last between 3 to 6 hours and involves inserting a catheter in a patient’s blood vessel, typically through the groin or shoulder area, up to the heart to treat the arrhythmia,” says Dr. Shepherd.
One of the scariest parts of the ordeal was when it came time for the anesthesia. Trust is hard under normal circumstances; it can be even harder for children with trauma in their past.
“Nicole was understandably nervous,” recalls her WGA nurse, Wendy Lyon. “She was also very courageous. Her parent was, too, for trusting us when we said we would take care of her daughter every step of the way.”
Once back on campus, Nicole’s recovery was monitored closely for several weeks until she was able to resume typical teen activities. Nicole’s story is one of many that illustrates the lengths and depths WGA and its medical staff will go to provide compassionate care.
* Name of youth changed to protect privacy.