Colleen and Lucas Wilson - the case for pulse-ox screening

 

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When Lucas Wilson was born, his doctor had a strange feeling that something wasn’t right. Lucas was born with the standard indicators of a healthy baby: eights pounds, eight ounces, ten fingers, and ten toes. However, Lucas’ doctor took one look at him and knew that something was wrong.

Lucas was born with a rare heart condition that neither his doctors, nor the hospital, were prepared to address. By the time the diagnosis was made more than 24 hours had passed and Lucas' kidneys had begun to shut down.  Lucas was air lifted to a hospital in Oklahoma City, where he underwent the first of three heart surgeries at 6 days old. 

As Lucas grew older his pulmonary and vascular pressures increased causing lymphatic fluid to leak into his lungs and eventually blocking off the airway as he coughed.   Surgeons created a hole in his heart that relieved the pressures and he is one of only a few children to survive this rare pulmonary condition. 

Lucas is currently doing well but will face a heart transplant at some point in the future. His parents call Lucas their “miracle baby” and are thankful for every day they have with him.  This past legislative session Lucas' mom, Colleen, as well as Lucas, were instrumental advocates who helped to ensure that a bill requiring Pulse- Oximitry Screenings for newborns passed through the Oklahoma State Legislature.  They were successful, not only in assisting with the passage of the bill, but in helping to save the future lives of newborns in their state who may be born with congenital heart defects.

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