I found these pictures…

Many people still ask me about Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), and I found these illustrations, which seem to be some of the easiest to follow.

Normal Heart…

HLHS Heart…

The Norwood procedure, which Mary Clare has already had…(first surgery in a series of three)

The only slight difference (see below) is that Mary Clare has a different shunt, called the Sano shunt instead of the Blalock-Taussig Shunt. It performs the same function, only in a different way. (an alternate route)

…and because I have had a friend to ask. No, Mary Clare was not named after the shunt, Blalock-Taussig. We decided on her middle name, Blaylock before we even heard of the shunt. It is a name in Mel’s family that he has always loved. 🙂