Jayden's Story

Jayden
Age 6
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension

Virginia Baptist Hospital

What started out as a typical day in the life of Ryan and Beth, ended in joy clouded by heartbreak. Their son Jayden was born six weeks early and it was immediately clear that his little body was struggling. Jayden was born with persistent pulmonary hypertension, which means his circulation changed back to the circulation of a fetus, where much of the blood flow bypassed his lungs. Simply put, Jayden couldn’t get oxygen to his tiny lungs.

A host of medical experts at Virginia Baptist Hospital began caring for Jayden, but they determined his best chance for survival was a new treatment—inhaled nitric oxide. The chemical helped Jayden’s lungs dilate, allowing blood to flow more naturally. Jayden was the first to receive this treatment at the hospital. After 7 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, Jayden finally took his first unassisted breath—a real miracle. He spent another 13 days in the NICU getting stronger.

Jayden is now a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving 6-year-old. Though he was too young to remember his life-threatening experience, Jayden’s mom thinks he innately knows how precious his life is and he never wastes a single moment.