Squamish's miracle baby is on the mend following his third - and hopefully last - open heart surgery.
Three-year-old Emilio Razzano is now in stable condition in University Hospital in Edmonton and mother Pam, father Enzo, aunt Pina and grandmother Rosa are taking turns watching over the boy 24 hours a day.
"He doesn't like to be alone," wrote Pam in an online journal she forwarded to the Chief.
Several weeks before his birth on May 1, 2003, Emilio was diagnosed with a hypoplastic left-heart and required immediate open-heart surgery. It would be the first of a three-part procedure that is now complete.
On Friday (May 5), the Razzano family patiently awaited a free bed in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and at 8:30 a.m. Emilio was wheeled into surgery.
"Emilio was a very brave boy going into the OR with his daddy," wrote Pam.
By Sunday (May 7), Emilio's condition was worrisome, with a spiking fever and kidney and liver problems, which his doctors said might lead to dialysis.
"We still have a critical 24 hours ahead of us," wrote Pam on Sunday morning.
On Tuesday (May 9), with his kidney and liver still suffering, Pam and Enzo sat by Emilio for almost 24 straight hours.
"It's hard to leave Emilio's bedside when he's so ill," wrote Pam.
While not at his bedside, Emilio's family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House where Emilio's older brother, six-year-old Marcus, has made a friend.
"Marcus has gone back to the Ronald McDonald House to play with his friend Harrison, a 15-year old volunteer who comes twice a week to play with Marcus," wrote Pam on Tuesday. "Marcus enjoys Harrison so much, I'm glad they have some time with each other."
Marcus also started his first day in an Edmonton school on Tuesday, which Pam said felt like "getting a tooth pulled."
By Tuesday afternoon, Emilio's morphine dose was doubled, he was still on a ventilator and doctors said they would need to perform a 15-minute procedure to insert a catheter into Emilio's kidneys.
"I'm sad but I'm feeling comfort that his heart surgeon will be doing the procedure and not a rookie," wrote Pam.
On Wednesday (May 10), Emilio began showing signs of recovery. His kidneys stopped deteriorating, his insulin levels were stabilizing and his IV feeds had increased to five tsps per hour. An IV was also taken out of his arm, but five other IVs remain.
"So for now, not a lot of progress, but he's stable and that's good enough for us," wrote Pam.
Pam said her family is comforted by notes posted on their online message board, which shows "so many are thinking of Emilio."
Squamish also proved how much it cares when residents participated in a bottle drive and garage sale, which netted approximately $1,300 to help the family while the Razzano family business, Lil' Enzo's Restaurant, is temporarily closed.
Residents can still send their support in the form of donations at the Squamish Bottle Depot on Queens Way and at the Bank of Montreal.
