MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Six years ago, we first introduced you to the Gray family and their daughter Lizzie.
The sweet little girl once had heart and hearing problems, but Alex Coleman looked back at what they went through and how little Lizzie is thriving today, because of their faith and Le Bonheur.
Lizzie’s young life hasn’t always been picture perfect. She was born in May of 2011. Her parents thought she was a healthy baby.
But a nurse came in and told them something was wrong with Lizzie and she had to go to the NICU.
“He said, ‘It’s her heart, and Le Bonheur has seen cases like this, and that’s where she’s going to go,’” mother Laurie Gray said.
Le Bonheur’s Pedi-Flite team had come to Lizzie’s delivery hospital to transport her when they noticed a problem.
When they were on the elevator, she stopped breathing.
Lizzie was stabilized and taken to Le Bonheur. Doctors determined she needed to be in the cardiovascular ICU.
“To carry a baby for nine months and then to say we’re going to take her away, I don’t know if words can express what’s that like,” Laurie Gray said. “It was tough.”
Lizzie’s pulmonary artery and her aorta were on opposite sides, and they needed to be swapped.
“We could take a situation that could have been life and death, and made it into preserving life, and focused on that,” said Dr. Vijay Joshi, Le Bonheur’s interim cardiology chief.
Lizzie’s family turned to prayer and her dad, who’s also a pastor, remembers reading from his Bible — Daniel, chapter three.
“If we’re thrown into the blazing fire, the God whom we serve is able to save us.”
Their prayers seemed to be answered. Lizzie was improving and she was now ready for surgery to repair a hole in her heart.
Now 9, Lizzie has a new title, known as big sister. Her baby sister is 5. Her family recently moved into a new house, and she is in the third grade.
