‘Truly amazed at how well she has recovered’

Just a few days before Christmas, Tiffany and Cody Jerry found themselves in an unimaginable situation: Handing off their 3-month-old baby for open heart surgery.

“This is supposed to be a time when your biggest worry with your baby is diaper rash and sleep issues, not aortic narrowings and blood pressure concerns,” Tiffany said in an email.

In early December, the Jerrys had taken their daughter, Scarlett, to a cardiologist, expecting to rule out a serious heart problem. Though Scarlett had a heart murmur and hadn’t been gaining weight regularly since her birth in September, Tiffany said she didn’t think her daughter had something major wrong with her heart.

“She has always been so happy and didn’t look like she had a serious problem,” Tiffany said. “I guess I just didn’t want to believe it.”

The cardiologist diagnosed four issues with Scarlett’s heart: aortic stenosis, mitral stenosis, a ventricular septal defect and an aortic contraction.

“We were shocked. I wasn’t prepared to hear that she had one issue, let alone four,” Tiffany said. “It’s just not what you want to hear about your baby.”

Tiffany, a graduate of Cody High School and Northwest College, now lives in Belgrade, Montana. On Dec. 18, she took Scarlett to a follow-up appointment in Billings, and a CT scan showed her condition was worse than doctors had originally thought.

“The cardiologist told me we needed to get to Denver right away,” Tiffany said.

Tiffany and Scarlett started their journey to Denver with just the clothes they were wearing and a diaper bag. They couldn’t go back to their home in Belgrade, because the wintry roads were too bad.

Cody had been on a business trip, and he met Tiffany and Scarlett in Denver.

On Dec. 21, Scarlett underwent a six-hour heart surgery.

“That was probably the scariest day of my life thus far,” Tiffany recalled. “Even though the surgeons do these operations every day, there is never a 100 percent guarantee that everything is going to be OK, and that is tough to think about.”

Scarlett’s surgery went well and she was released from ICU in time for Christmas, but she remained in the hospital in Denver. Friends in the area brought a little Christmas tree, stocking and a few gifts.

“I know she won’t remember it, but it was her very first one and she had just been through so much, so I wanted it to be as special as we could make it,” Tiffany said.

The couple tried to stay strong for their young daughter, but Tiffany said there were moments when she went down the hall in the hospital and just cried.

“It’s tough to see your baby connected to all of those machines and crying out in pain,” Tiffany said.

Scarlett’s voice was hoarse after the breathing tube was removed, so when she tried to cry, nothing came out.

“ ... that just broke my heart,” Tiffany said. “When her voice first started coming back, I was so thankful.”

After some follow-up appointments, the family made their way back home on Dec. 30.

The couple described the last six weeks as a blur.

Thankfully, Scarlett is doing well — happy and energetic, gaining weight and eating much more than she did before the surgery, Tiffany said.

“I am truly amazed at how quickly she has recovered,” Tiffany said. “People keep telling me that you would never know by looking at her that she just had open heart surgery. We are very thankful.”

Since Scarlett’s diagnosis last month, the couple has received an outpouring of support from family, friends and even people they have never met.

“People have been so kind to us,” Tiffany said. “... and I feel that saying, ‘Thank you,’ no matter how many times I say it, just isn’t enough. I hope we will be able to pay it forward one day.”

Tiffany is part of a group on Facebook that was created last year for pregnant women with due dates in September. When her friends in the group found out about Scarlett’s heart issues, they reached out immediately and set up an online fund to help with medical bills. To donate, visit www.youcaring.com/tiffany-jerry-491100.

Cody said the experience has taught him to be prepared for anything.

“It has really helped me re-prioritize my life,” he said.

Scarlett’s cardiologist said everything looks good right now, but she will continue to have check-ups for the rest of her life, Tiffany said. As she grows up, doctors will test her to see if she has any limitations.

“All we can do is hope for the best,” Tiffany said. “No matter what happens, I know Cody and I both just want her to have a full and happy life.”