For Shayla and Ralph Nettey, parenthood was gearing up to be everything they’d ever hoped for. But at Shayla’s 20-week ultrasound, the first-time parents received a crushing diagnosis. Their daughter, Alisha, had hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a congenital heart disorder.
The Netteys were referred to Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute and Levine Children’s Hospital by their doctor in Greensboro, who recommended Atrium Health’s heart program above all others in the region. Two days after Alisha was born in December, she had her first heart surgery at Levine Children’s; it was a success. Just a few weeks later, Alisha was recovering and ready to go home.
From the compassionate nurses who cared for her in the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery to her surgeon and cardiologist to the care team who gave Alisha her first bow at Christmas, the Netteys have never doubted their little girl’s heart has been in safe hands.
“There are so many things we can’t control in this situation, but [Levine Children’s] helped us have confidence in what they could control,” says Shayla. “They were so patient with us. They were very loving. They treated us like family.” Today, baby Alisha is thriving and loves everything from listening to hip-hop to hearing bedtime stories.