North Carolina boy makes heart history at Duke

DURHAM, N.C. -- A 10-year-old from Morganton survived a life threatening diagnosis and made medical history by being the first patient in NC to be implanted with a special heart pump. C.J. Moore is still recovering at the Ronald McDonald House in Durham after going through something many kids couldn't even imagine. "I hope it never happens again," said C.J. Moore. "He's been through a lot, but he's fought that battle all the way," said his mother, Reshella Moore. "We've been here supporting, but it's been his fight." Last summer, Moore was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. He was life flighted from Cape Fear Valley Hospital to Duke University Medical Center where doctors say he was close to dying. "When he came here he was really sick, his heart was very weakened and he was basically in shock," explained Dr. Andrew Lodge. Dr. Lodge showed us from his initial X-ray how his heart was almost three times its normal size. C.J. needed a new heart, but his doctors said he didn't have time to wait. "When that happens then it's possible to implant a mechanical pump that helps the heart to not have to do as much work while the patient waits for a heart transplant," said Dr. Lodge. Doctors had never implanted a heart pump like this in a child so they had to get special permission from the hospital, FDA and manufacturer of the device. The final decision was in the hands of C.J. and his family. "They gave us the pros and cons of it and me and his dad talked about it and we agreed whatever was best for our son because at that point his own heart was only functioning at 10 or 15 percent on its own," said Reshella Moore. C.J. had the heart pump for four months. Lodge said he could have left the hospital with this type of pump, but since he lived in Morganton they didn't want him to traveling that far for appointments. Over his time in the hospital, C.J. celebrated his 10th birthday and watched! as his heart got stronger. Just days before Christmas he was ready for a transplant. "Its like the heart before the transplants and the surgeries," said C.J. His doctors said he'll be ready to go home in a few weeks. "He has his days when he's tired, but that's to be expected," said ReshellaMoore. "He's just building his strength back up and that's just going to come with time." C.J. is only the fourth child in the United States to ever have this heart pump implanted. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc