November 10, 2022
On This Thankful Thursday…We are Grateful …”Because You Care”
Because You Care: Incredible Miracles Like This are Possible …For Alex
Alex – A Mountain Shadows Superhero
by Sheryl Wilde
In the movie, The Incredibles, a family with superpowers saves the world from certain destruction.
We believe, much like the characters in his favorite movie, Alex, shown in the picture above in his “Incredibles” costume, is a real-life superhero – inspiring love and happiness wherever he goes.
But, Alex, our superhero, had a rough start in life. By the time he was three months old, Alex had undergone open heart surgery, suffered two cardiac arrests, and developed a life-threatening case of sepsis.
Born with a rare and serious congenital heart defect, called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), it was uncertain whether Alex would survive. In babies born with TGA, the two main arteries of the heart are reversed, causing oxygen-poor blood to be circulated to the body and oxygen-rich blood to be circulated between the lungs and the heart, rather than to the body. Babies born with TGA have great difficulty breathing and can have severe cyanosis (a bluish discoloration of the skin).
Left untreated, over 50 percent of infants with TGA will die in the first month of life. Ninety percent will die in the first year.
In addition to TGA, Alex has Cerebral Palsy.
But, against the odds, little Alex summoned all of his incredible superpowers and survived! And, at 4 months old, he was released from the hospital. It was the first time our little hero had been outside of the hospital!
Alex was placed in Mountain Shadows Hill House. And that’s when the real miracles began.
When he first arrived at Mountain Shadows, Alex wasn’t able to interact very much. No one was sure if he could see or hear. He required six G-Tube feedings a day, and each feeding could take an hour or more.
When Barbara Martinez, a direct care staff member at Hill House, met Alex, she thought at first he looked like any other little baby – until she saw all of his scars.
As with all of the staff, she quickly fell in love with little Alex. He became her “little buddy” with his big brown eyes and perpetual smile.
Says Barbara, “Alex always wanted to be held. I couldn’t put him down, so I would carry him everywhere, pulling his feeding tube and pole along behind me as I worked around the house.
“We worked a lot with Alex. We helped him learn to crawl, then to walk.”
Natalie Canales was the RN at Hill House when Alex moved in. She and Alex quickly developed a close bond.
“Alex was just such a joy,” says Natalie. “While I was working during the day, he would sneak up and secretly put little toys in my backpack. When I got home at night, I’d find his little surprises. It was just so precious.”
Their bond continued to grow, and it wasn’t long before Natalie knew. “The first time he looked in my eyes and smiled at me, I knew that I loved him. I knew I really, really loved him and had to take him home.
Natalie and her husband decided to adopt Alex.
“It’s the best decision I ever made in my life,” says Natalie. “l can’t imagine not having him in my life.
“Right now, Alex is pretty much like a typical six-year-old boy in that he likes dinosaurs and trains. But he’s not on the same developmental pathway as a typical child. When he reaches a developmental milestone, it’s the greatest thing in the world!
“I’ve learned from Alex how to be a mom. I’ve learned about the joy that the little things bring.
He’s brought lots of love into my life.”
Alex can now walk. He started school this year and is learning sign language.
But, while Alex has made great strides, he still has serious health issues. Doctors have said Alex will need a heart transplant someday, but Natalie remains positive.
“When I was a little girl, my mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I just said, ‘To be happy.’ That’s always been my general philosophy in life — find what makes you happy and do it. And make others happy too.
“That is my wish for Alex, that he will be happy, and as healthy as possible.
“I appreciate all the work the staff did with Alex when he was little. He wouldn’t be where he is today if it wasn’t for them. That’s one of the things that speaks about Mountain Shadows as an organization. They really do care so much.
“I remember when we took Alex to Cedar Sinai for an appointment, the cardiologist made a note in the file that Alex was meticulously cared for. So, others can see how much Mountain Shadows cares for the kids. They really do care.
“I’d like for others to have an opportunity to meet children like Alex and other special needs individuals. Often others don’t appreciate the individuality of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. They don’t see they have individual personalities, with hopes and dreams of their own.”
Alex:
A Mountain Shadows Superhero
“Sometimes, real superheroes live in the hearts of small children fighting big battles.” ~ unknown
