Family together at home after youngest child’s illness

Author: AUTUMN HUGHES: Lifestyles Editor

Source: The Daily Post-Athenian

Date Published: 2000-11-21

If you don’t believe in miracles, you’ve never had occasion to meet Noah Mason.

The first weeks of Noah’s life were anything but ordinary and nowhere near serene. However, life is getting back to a semblance of normalcy now that almost nine-month-old Noah is home with his parents, Matt and Missy Mason, and his siblings, Cory and Kaitlyn Mason.

Noah was born with persistent pulmonary hypertension and a severe heart condition. The Masons said when they went to Parkwest Medical Center for Noah’s birth; they were expecting a healthy baby. That expectation was not to be.

Missy and Matt got to see Noah when he was born but were only allowed to touch him when he was 13 days old. Missy said the persistent pulmonary hypertension was discovered when Noah was born but the problems with his heart were not found until three days later.

Missy said Kaitlyn had breathing problems when she was younger and she noticed Noah was gurgling when he breathed.

“It was two hours later he was on a ventilator,” Missy said, adding Noah was taken to Children’s Hospital.

Soon after that, doctors told the Masons there was a possible treatment for Noah’s condition but it was strictly experimental and the doctors could offer no guarantees.

“They said it was experimental but it was his best chance for survival,” Missy said. Matt added the procedure was only approved at the end of last year and Noah was the first baby in this area to meet all criteria for the experimental treatment.

“He’s like a role model baby,” Matt said.

Missy said the family was “panicky” about trying the nitric oxide method but because it was his last chance they had to try it.

“It definitely saved his life,” Missy said.

Matt said Noah was at Children’s Hospital for 2 1/2 weeks because he couldn’t come off the respirator or nitric oxide.

“We had to stay at Children’s long enough to get him well, enough to have his heart treated,” Matt said.

Noah then took an airplane ride to Vanderbilt for two-and-one-half weeks of treatment for his heart. After his treatment at Vanderbilt, Noah was sent back to Knoxville for another one-and-one-half weeks.

Matt said the cost of the treatment was $1,300 a day for two weeks for the nitric oxide treatment but the procedure was still in research when Noah received the treatment so there was no charge to the family.

Missy said Noah still sees his cardiologist and pulmonologist, adding he will have to see cardiologist the rest of his life. Noah also still wears a monitor for his heart rate and blood pressure and he is on blood pressure medication.

“They figure he’ll at least be on it until he’s four,” Missy said.

As a follow-up to his treatment, Dr. Steve Klyce wrote Noah a letter outlining his treatment “so Noah could have it for his baby book,” Missy said.

Missy said the thoracic surgeon also prepared a sketch to show Noah what his surgery entailed and to help explain the scars he is sure to ask about later on.

Missy said Noah is a happy baby and not afraid of his doctors. She said he is at the stage where he scoots on his belly.

“He’s smaller than his age still,” Missy said. “He’s a little spoiled, too.”

Missy said Noah’s illness has been difficult on Cory and Kaitlyn.

“They had a lot of trouble dealing emotionally with everything brother was going through,” Missy said.

Cory said he and Kaitlyn play with Noah and they have a few special games. Cory said sometimes Kaitlyn will hold Noah while Cory rolls a ball to him and Noah kicks it back.

“And sometimes we play patty-cake with him,” Kaitlyn said.

Missy said Noah is still in isolation so he can’t go to church or out where he can interact with other people because his lungs are still sensitive.

“We have not been to a restaurant as a family since he was born,” Missy said with a laugh. “One day he might know what McDonald’s is.”

Missy said they may be able to go out as a family next spring “ maybe on his first birthday on March 13.

Missy said the Mason family is grateful for the support from the community during the trying time since Noah’s birth.

“We had so many churches and individuals who put him on prayer lists,” Missy said. “We’d just like to thank everyone for their prayers and support.”

Missy added the family also wants to let people know Noah is doing better and growing stronger every day.

“There’s a lot of people who prayed for him but don’t know how he is now,” Missy said.

“There’s a verse in the Bible that said Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord,” Missy said, referring to Genesis 6:8. “We claimed that for him because we think the Lord found favor in our Noah.”