At the age of three months old, little Bonnie Novak had been through more than most people ever will.
The Melbourne baby, who is now nearly 10 months old, underwent five heart surgeries in just six days during a tumultuous week her parents will never forget.
Bonnie’s heart condition was discovered completely by accident.
Krystal and Steve Novak had a few blissful weeks of peace with their newborn when, at five weeks old, they realised Bonnie’s pupils were different sizes.
Krystal and Steve Novak (pictured) had a few blissful weeks of peace with their newborn when, at five weeks old, they realised Bonnie’s pupils were different sizes
Doctors confirmed that Bonnie had holes between the chambers of her heart, as well as a leaky left valve. She was scheduled for surgery just days later
They began looking into what could be the underlying cause. When the issue remained at the three-month mark, they took Bonnie to an ophthalmologist.
The specialist thought the varying pupil sizes could be due to a stretched nerve or a tumour on the neck, but a chest X-ray found something completely different.
‘We hadn’t been home for more than an hour before the ophthalmologist called me with the result,’ Krystal, 31, told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I’ll never forget his words: “We didn’t find a tumour, but we did find something we weren’t expecting. Bonnie has an enlarged heart.”‘
The news shocked Krystal and Steve, 30, as the condition is often picked up during the 20-week scan.
A cardiologist told Krystal that Bonnie either had a hole in her heart or had a heart with poor function, and that they would need to go to the hospital that very night.
An Echocardiogram and ECG test confirmed that Bonnie had Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD), in which there are holes between the chambers of the heart, as well as a leaky left valve. She was scheduled for surgery just days later.
Bonnie Novak was just three months old when she underwent five heart surgeries in one week
‘We’d only known about her condition for less than a week when she went in for her first surgery,’ Krystal said.
‘Not that we knew it then, but she’d have five operations over the course of that week that really tested our ability to endure.’
While Krystal was ‘oddly at peace’ when Bonnie’s first surgery began, it would soon become the ‘longest and hardest day’ of her and Steve’s lives.
Bonnie went into surgery at 9am and didn’t come out for nearly 12 hours as doctors struggled to repair the leaky valve.
‘It was much worse than they expected, so they attempted to repair it two times without success,’ Krystal recalled.
‘To avoid putting her little heart under anymore pressure for one day, they had to stop the surgery.’
Bonnie went into her first surgery at 9am and didn’t come out for nearly 12 hours as doctors struggled to repair the leaky valve
She had to be connected to a life-support machine and undergo four more surgeries, including one that installed a mechanical valve and another for the installation of a pacemaker
Krystal and Steve spent four weeks total in the hospital with Bonnie, including two in the ICU
‘The rest of that evening went from bad to worse. We were a mess, only being held up by our incredible family and the hand of God.’
Krystal and Steve were allowed to visit Bonnie, who was being connected to a life-support machine known as ECMO that aids the lungs and heart.
Krystal and Steve spent four weeks in the hospital with Bonnie, including two in the ICU
‘It was clear to us – and the nursing staff told us as much – that they were having trouble getting Bonnie stable,’ Krystal said.
‘The hospital graciously put us in a meeting room with some blankets and pillows, and suggested that it might be best if we don’t go anywhere.’
‘There was a high probability that Bonnie would be taken back into theater. We were bracing for the worst.’
The following day Bonnie underwent a chest clean, her second surgery, and on Wednesday doctors replaced her leaky valve with a mechanical one.
‘By attempting to repair the valve, they were hoping to avoid all the ongoing care required with a mechanical valve until Bonnie was older,’ Krystal said.
‘But its original condition was too far gone and there was no other option.’
Bonnie had another chest clean the following day and then underwent her last surgery, a pacemaker insertion and chest closure, a few days later.
‘It was the most difficult week of our lives,’ Krystal recalled.
‘We handed over what had seemed to be a perfectly happy healthy baby. She smiled all the way to theater on the morning.’
Bonnie has been a fighter from the very beginning, and remains ‘incredibly energetic and inquisitive’, Krystal said
‘I will never forget the moment I handed her to the anaesthetist, and watched her smile turn to tears.’
Krystal and Steve spent four weeks total in the hospital with Bonnie, including two in the ICU.
‘It was hard to watch, but we learned that we had to enjoy her as she was then, taking joy in the little things like being able to wipe her down, pat her head, and sing to her,’ Krystal said.
Bonnie has been a fighter from the very beginning, and remains ‘incredibly energetic and inquisitive’, the new mum added.
‘She is wonderful, hilarious, and extremely expressive,’ Krystal said.
‘She’s meeting all her milestones, eats like a machine, and does not like to be held down.’
Bonnie still must take the a blood-thinning medication to avoid clotting around her mechanical valve.
She must also undergo weekly heel prick blood tests to make sure her blood density is within the right range.
‘Bonnie takes these like a champ,’ Krystal said. ‘With no tears!’