Born Premature with a Hole in the Heart: Kaluela’s Journey

Kaluela was born prematurely in Medan together with her twin, when her mother was only seven months pregnant. Both babies had a low birth weight and spent 28 days in the NICU. After that, the family learned that Kaluela had a congenital heart defect. Her mother shares their journey up to Kaluela's procedure at Heartology.

News About Kaluela's Heart

After birth, Kaluela was examined in Medan and diagnosed with a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small opening between the two upper chambers of the heart, and a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a channel between the aorta and the lung artery that should close after birth but stays open. Her parents panicked and worried when they heard that their baby's heart had a leak.

Three months later, Kaluela had another echocardiogram. The PFO had closed, but the PDA was still open. Day to day, Kaluela tired easily, struggled to gain weight and had difficulty drinking. She also often cried when being fed. In babies, a PDA that stays open can make the heart and lungs work harder, so symptoms like these need to be assessed by a pediatric cardiologist.

Choosing Heartology

On the recommendation of friends and family, Kaluela's parents brought her to Heartology in Jakarta. There, Kaluela had another echocardiogram, an ultrasound of the heart, and the family discussed her treatment with the pediatric cardiologist.

Her mother admits she was frightened at the thought of a catheter procedure on such a tiny baby. "If you think about it, a baby this small having a catheter tube put into her heart," she recalled. After hearing the doctor's explanation, however, the family felt confident to go ahead.

Undergoing PDA Closure

On 11 January 2024, Kaluela underwent PDA closure without open surgery. The doctor inserted a catheter, a thin, flexible tube, through a blood vessel and closed the channel with an umbrella-like closure device. According to her mother, the whole process took about an hour from the time Kaluela was put under anaesthesia until the procedure was finished. Before going home, Kaluela had another echocardiogram.

When the video was recorded, her mother said Kaluela was eating more easily, drinking more and no longer crying when sitting in her feeding chair. She also felt the process was straightforward, including paperwork that did not take long."The care was very quick, easy and hassle-free," she said.

To other parents, her message is not to be afraid or panic if a child has a heart problem, and to consult a cardiologist promptly to find out which treatment options are suitable.