Charley Solano

Pink or blue? It's one of the first questions parents ask when their new baby is born. Faith and Tony Solano were overjoyed when they heard "blue" when their son Charles was born. But "blue" took a different, unwelcome twist two days later. The healthcare team caring for the baby noticed his coloring didn't seem quite right. He was, in fact, turning blue.

Charley was born with his heart on the right side of his chest cavity, instead of the normal left side. His left ventricle, or main cardiac pumping chamber, was underdeveloped and the valve to the lung artery was almost completely blocked. His lungs were not getting enough blood flow, so his bloodstream wasn't getting enough oxygen. He was turning blue as a result.

"When the doctor told me something was wrong with Charley, I was shocked," says Faith. "My husband had left the hospital to attend school conferences for two of our other six children. I asked the doctor if I should call Tony to come back to the hospital. When he said it would be a good idea, I knew it was bad. Everything after that was a blur. It was a chaotic morning."

A minister at the hospital in Mankato — Immanuel St. Joseph's — where Charles was born baptized him, and the couple learned their baby would need to have emergency care at a hospital with more advanced pediatric cardiac services.

"They asked us to choose between Mayo Clinic and a hospital in the Twin Cities," says Tony. "Immanuel St. Joseph's is part of Mayo Health System, so we wanted to stay in the Mayo system. Going to Mayo Clinic was an easy choice for us. I knew our baby would get the best care in the world there."

Charles was transported to Mayo Clinic by Mayo One helicopter. His parents made the trip by automobile.

"My cousin is a paramedic for Gold Cross ambulance, which also is part of Mayo," says Faith. "She had heard the call for air transport for our baby and contacted me to offer to drive us in our van to Mayo Clinic. She said she knew the route well, having made the trip so often in the ambulance. It was wonderful to have her help driving because we were so stressed. I held the little T-shirt Charley had worn the night before and prayed the entire trip to Rochester."

Immediately upon the couple's arrival at Mayo Clinic, they were presented with forms authorizing physicians to perform surgery on Charles.

"It was so scary. We didn't really have time to think about what was happening," says Faith. "The pediatric cardiovascular specialist, Dr. Allison Cabalka, told us what we needed to hear. She was straightforward and factual but comforting at the same time. She said her team had done hundreds of these procedures, but that Charley's situation was an emergency. We understood that our baby would not live without surgery, so we put our trust in God and the doctors."

The three-hour surgery to provide a source of blood to Charles's lungs was a success. The surgical team, led by congenital cardiovascular surgeon Joseph Dearani, M.D., created a shunt to allow blood flow into the lung arteries directly from the aorta, saving his life.

"Charley presented an unusual situation," says Dr. Cabalka. "In most newborns who have critical blockage of blood flow to the lungs, we can use prostaglandin medication to keep open the ductus patent (a connection between the aorta and lung artery that normally closes after birth). In Charley's case, the ductus wouldn't open with the medicine. Our only option, then, was emergency surgery. This illustrates the importance of teamwork when taking care of a critically ill newborn."

Charles went home after six days at Mayo Clinic.

"Charley developed right on schedule, just like any other baby," says Faith. "We weren't sure if his brain had been deprived of oxygen in the days immediately after his birth. But it became apparent when he was a few months old that he was fine."

When Charles reached 7 months old, he had a successful second surgery at Mayo Clinic to place a different type of shunt — a bidirectional Glenn shunt, which directly connects the large vein draining the upper half of the body (superior vena cava) — to the lung arteries. The first shunt, no longer needed, was removed. When Charles is 3, he will need another surgery to completely separate the blue blood from the red blood, a modified Fontan procedure.

Today, Charles is typical for a boy his age — "always raring to go," according to his mother. He loves anything that has a motor and loves mimicking the sounds of a motor.
His real passion is people.

"Charley has always been able to catch people's eyes and get them to talk to him," says Faith. "He is very social and cute, so people can't help but engage with him. He loves to go on walks and make new friends on his outings. My husband calls him a politician."

Charley with his brother, Micah, and dad, Tony Solano.

Faith and Tony are grateful to the many people who helped them during their baby's medical crises.

"The support from family and friends was priceless," says Tony. "We were so focused on Charley that we didn't properly acknowledge all the people who helped us get through that time. Family and friends took care of our other children, prepared meals, cleaned the house and helped with expenses. It's easy to forget that someone has to fill in the gaps at home during crises like these. I hope we can learn positive things from this experience and be a blessing to others in their times of need."

And Faith and Tony are grateful to the healthcare teams that cared for Charles.

"The care Charley had at Mayo Clinic was second to none," says Faith. "We are so grateful for the quick action by the healthcare teams at both Mayo organizations and for the compassion and care they showed our baby and our family. Thanks to their expertise and experience, we have a happy, healthy toddler."