“Dad, the doctor wants you to accept it.” I will never forget these words. They were not bad words, but they made me feel like I was half dead. They changed my life forever. I would do anything for him, and I would give him anything to eat so that my daughter, “Nudee”, would get better.
“Nudee”, Miss Thanawan Lertthititrakul, was born on August 25, 2008. Two days after birth, she was found to have congenital heart defects, non-cyanotic, and pulmonary embolism, which made her easily tired when breastfeeding. At first, she was treated by a doctor at a private hospital with medication. I didn’t think that Nuudee would be seriously ill because her weight was within the criteria that the doctor had observed. Then, on December 16, 2008, an echocardiogram was performed and it was found that the defective heart septum had not improved at all.
That day, I felt very angry and worried about my daughter. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I had no sense. Until I went to see the doctor at the Children’s Hospital on December 19, 2008, the doctor performed an echocardiogram for a very long time. The doctor informed me that Nuudee’s heart was very serious. The lower chamber of the heart is almost gone, as if there are only 3 chambers in the heart. The blood vessels to the lungs are very narrow. We have to rush to a meeting to do the surgery at the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Foundation, Rajavithi Hospital.
My family and I waited for the appointment date with great anticipation because we were so worried about our daughter that Nudi had the first surgery on January 19, 2009 when she was only 4 months and 24 days old. The surgery went well in the morning, but at around 6 pm, the doctor called to inform us that the surgery in the morning had bad results and that we had to do another surgery that evening.
Since January 19, 2009, Nudi had to sleep all the time. There were tubes and pipes all over her body. I felt so sorry for her. I wanted to hear her voice and see her eyes. I was very worried and stressed.
I cried every night with my family.
Until January 26, 2009, the doctor decided to do the third surgery. The doctor told me that it was 50/50, Dad, but we had to go in to see the real cause. The surgery started at 9 am. It took a very long time. I prayed to the gods all the time to protect Noo Dee until around 8 pm. The doctor came out to inform me that the surgery went well. The doctor repaired all 4 chambers of the heart and it was normal. It was like a miracle. My family and I were very happy. On January 29, 2009 at 5 am, the doctor called to inform me that Noo Dee’s heart had stopped beating and they were resuscitating her. “What happened to my child?” “Can you take my life instead?” “Doctor, save my child.” All sorts of thoughts came to mind. Images of my child since birth, images of me holding him, playing with him, bathing him, and the moment I was the one who carried him into the operating room, all came rushing back into my mind. It was so painful, like living in hell.
I arrived at the hospital around 6 am. I saw the doctor sitting next to Noo Dee’s bed and came to me with alcohol for me to wipe my hands and pat his head. He then said to me, “Noo Dee’s heart is working normally again. However, there is a severe lung infection and a blood infection. The doctor thinks it is very serious for Noo Dee. Dad, the doctor wants you to accept it, but the medical team did their best and The doctor is still doing his best and still fighting. Everyone must help pray.”

I didn’t know what to do, but from what the doctor said, I looked at my son’s face. He was still breathing. All the doctors and nurses were still fighting. My family and I still had hope.

And then on February 26, 2009 at 8:00 AM, the day the doctor let him wake up from his sleep. I went to see Noo Dee. He held my fingers tightly. My face unconsciously shed tears. It was like a mountain had been lifted off my chest. “My son survived. He became my son again.”
Since that day, Noo Dee has been getting better and better. She was discharged from the hospital to recuperate at home on March 18, 2009. It has been 3 full months. I would like to thank everyone who helped “Noo Dee.”
My family and I would like to thank Dr. Thanarat, Dr. Chusak, Dr. Pichet, Dr. Nopporn, my favorite doctor and all the medical team from Chula, all the nurses who helped take care of Noo Dee, Phi Su, Phi Mui, Phi Jum, Phi Da, Phi Phanit, and all the nurses, especially Dr. Phiraphat, the angel doctor of all children. Every time the doctor told me and my family to accept it, but what I saw and knew was that the doctor devoted a lot of physical and mental strength. If my family and I had not met the doctor and the Heart Foundation, my life and that of Noodee and my family would not be here today.