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Jayden Ogo - Heart and Home
 Being a new mother is a memorable experience for any woman, but Krystal Ogo’s first few weeks with her son Jayden were definitely out of the ordinary, and taught this brave 17-year-old the importance of being with family, whether at home in her native Guam or across the sea.
Jayden was born on Feb. 21, 2010. The baby boy seemed healthy at first, but the hospital staff soon noticed him turning blue, a sign that he wasn’t getting enough oxygen. After a 2D-echo, the doctors suspected Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR), a rare congenital heart defect where all four of his pulmonary veins were not in their correct positions, keeping blood and oxygen from circulating properly. Unfortunately, Guam was not equipped for such complex heart cases in newborns, and it was decided that Jayden would have to go overseas to have his condition confirmed by a pediatric cardiologist, and then treated in a well-equipped facility.
The Medical City (TMC) in Manila, Philippines was the Ogos’ best bet. TMC-Manila had an excellent pediatric cardiology team with many successful surgeries under its belt. Moreover, Jayden’s health was unstable, and the presence of TMC’s sister branch in Guam, which constantly coordinated with the International Patient Services (IPS) in TMC-Manila for overseas treatment, would make the move to Manila quick and efficient.
Thus, on Jayden’s 7th day of life, he and Krystal were flown to the Philippines. TMC-Guam’s General Manager Dino Quintans supervised the arrangements with the IPS, ensuring that Jayden’s records were in order for the transfer, a medical team was tapped and ready for the task, and all the needed facilities were set for his arrival.
As soon as Jayden arrived at TMC-Manila, pediatric cardiologist Dr. Olympia Malanyaon confirmed a case of TAPVR. Unfortunately, he had the most severe type of this condition: infracardiac. There was an obstruction along the path of his veins, causing the pressure in his lungs to go up. This called for immediate surgery, but to make things worse, Jayden’s blood type—O Rh-negative—was not readily available in the Philippines.
“We alerted the blood bank, but they didn’t have enough for open heart surgery,” recalls Dr. Malanyaon. “It would take some time before they could collect the right amount, so in the meantime, we had to manage Jayden very aggressively.”
What made things even more harrowing was that Krystal had to spend those first days at the hospital on her own; Minna, Jayden’s grandmother, would have to follow due to travel complications. Krystal was young, and being alone in a foreign land with her very sick son challenged her spirits. The Philippines and Guam did have similar environments, but of course, there truly was no place like home.
“Krystal was very strong to have traveled all by herself,” Minna states proudly of her daughter.
Nonetheless, the hospital staff was always by Krystal’s side, keeping her company and cheering her up whenever she was down, and by the time her mother arrived, the Ogos had very much become part of the TMC family.
“Everyone’s been so good to us,” Minna continues. “They made sure to help us with whatever we needed. A lot of the staff actually got attached to Jayden, and they’d come up to check on him often. We definitely felt safer and more secure here than at the hotel.”
“Dr. Malanyaon was very good at explaining what was happening,” Krystal adds. “She’d give the details to us slowly and clearly, and always told us not to worry.”
This open and honest communication between doctor and patient is characteristic of TMC’s unique patient partnership philosophy. Dr. Malanyaon and the Ogos shared their concerns with each other every step of the way, and despite the pressure and anxiety, worked together to ensure Jayden’s wellbeing and proper treatment.
Three days later, the hospital received enough blood, and Jayden underwent surgery to correct the TPVR the following morning. In keeping with TMC’s multidisciplinary approach to health care, several specialists attended to Jayden. Aside from Dr. Malanyaon, there were surgeons Dr. Gisel Catalan and Dr. Richard Nicolas; anesthesiologist Dr. Grace Catalan; neonatologist Dr. Charito Corpuz; and intensivist Dr. Dexter Cheng.
After the operation, Jayden showed signs of improvement day by day. Recovery was gradual, as he needed further medication for an infection he’d also been carrying since birth. Regardless, he made very big progress, and as of this writing, he is well on his way to living a normal, healthy life. The Ogos’ whirlwind journey truly paid off.
“He’s a very strong baby, withstanding the travel and the actual surgery,” says Dr. Malanyaon. “And his case is certainly a feather in our cap. It’s considered difficult even in specialized cardiac centers abroad. Only 2% of congenital heart disease cases fall under TAPVR, and Jayden’s particular TAPVR case was also the least common. We have proven that we have the expertise and facilities here at TMC to take care of newborns with very complicated conditions.”
Jayden, Krystal and Minna are now back in Guam, enjoying their life together as a family. Despite the anxieties they had experienced, they can now look back on the first weeks of Jayden’s life and feel immense triumph.
“He’s our miracle baby,” Krystal says with a smile. Cradling a sleeping Jayden in her arms, she looks every bit the proud mother who had never lost heart.
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