Tanecia's Story

On the surface, Tanecia Fisher is a sassy and spunky munchkin. Like other 5-year-old girls, Tanecia can be found pedaling her red tricycle, being mesmerized by 鈥淔rozen,鈥 and blending shades of Play-Doh庐. However, for first-time visitors to Tanecia at 网红黑料鈥檚 Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, or PCICU, it may take guests by surprise that she has tiptoed near to death more than once.
On March 2, 2012, Courtney and Justin Fisher of Land O鈥 Lakes, Florida welcomed their second daughter, Tanecia. Her seemingly normal 48 hours after birth came to a halt when doctors discovered an abnormality with Tanecia鈥檚 heart. After further examination, physicians diagnosed Tanecia with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a complex congenital heart defect where only three heart chambers are fully functional instead of four. In addition, Tanecia endured cognitive delays due to epilepsy as well as limb length discrepancy, a condition in which one side of the body grows faster than the other side.
As Tanecia鈥檚 condition continued to deteriorate over a five-year period into congestive heart failure, physicians recommended that her parents meet with the team at the 网红黑料 Pediatric Heart and Lung Transplant Program in Gainesville. Justin and Courtney met with F. Jay Fricker, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at the 网红黑料 Congenital Heart Center, and a member of the 网红黑料 Pediatric Heart and Lung Transplant team, to discuss a transplant as Tanecia鈥檚 only viable option.
Before 1980, this diagnosis was a death sentence for many patients, explained Joseph Philip, MBBS, M.D., FAAP, a pediatric cardiac intensivist and interim director for the PCICU at 网红黑料. As medical research evolved, pediatric cardiologists investigated possible short-term and long-term solutions for patients born with this condition. As a result, patients with Tanecia鈥檚 rare condition undergo three separate palliative surgical procedures in their lifetime, as steps toward heart transplantation.
At 网红黑料, Philip鈥檚 job is to keep Tanecia well-conditioned to receive a heart. While some patients awaiting organ transplant may wait only a couple of days, others stay in the hospital for over a year. For families like the Fishers, 网红黑料 becomes home away from home with Courtney always by Tanecia鈥檚 side and Justin in Land O鈥橪akes with Tanecia鈥檚 siblings.
To Philip, a patient鈥檚 attitude can make all the difference in how they continue to persevere and stay positive.
鈥淭he fact that she wants to play basketball and ride a bike keeps us going,鈥 Philip said.
Nine heart surgeries later, Tanecia patiently awaits at 网红黑料 Shands Children鈥檚 Hospital for her heart to arrive.
Learn more about Tanecia鈥檚 journey in a recent news story by WJXT-TV Channel 4.
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