Nasir Montgomery fights past heart condition as miracle child

Exuding boundless energy and a mischievous grin that shows his missing top front teeth, Nasir Montgomery reminds one of any other 4-year-old little boy.

But during his third week of life, Alexan Green almost lost her son to a congenital heart condition.

“I had a normal pregnancy and did everything I was supposed to do,” she said. “On April 4, 2005, Nasir was delivered by Cesarean section.“

During his first couple of weeks, Alexan said Nasir had some weight loss issues. She was reassured when the pediatrician said it was more than likely related to acid reflux.

“When he was around three weeks old, I went in to check on him one Saturday morning and he just did not look well,” Alexan said. “He was pale, his lips were chapped, and his breathing was shallow. I immediately rushed him from our home in Lake City to the hospital in Florence where I had delivered. His oxygen level was very low and it seemed like it took hours for them to stabilize him. I was scared, and I didn’t understand what was happening to my baby. It was as though he was suddenly at death’s door.”

The staff at that hospital told Nasir’s parents he needed to be taken by ambulance to the McLeod Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

“Once we got to McLeod, we had answers in minutes,” his father, Rasheem Green, said.

Shortly after they arrived at McLeod, pediatric intensivist Dr. Gerald Atwood came to speak to the family. He told them an echocardiogram performed on Nasir indicated that he had a congenital heart defect. Nasir needed to be immediately flown by helicopter to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston for surgery.

Children with heart conditions in the region typically receive follow-up care from McLeod Pediatric Cardiologist Dr. Charles Trant after they are discharged from MUSC.

“It is important for people to understand why having the McLeod PICU here in Florence is so vitally important,” Trant said. “If Nasir had been transported from Florence in the condition he was in at presentation without being stabilized or diagnosed first, then he probably would not have made it. Even though we do not perform pediatric cardiovascular surgery here at McLeod, the fact that we are able to make the initial diagnosis, start the treatments and stabilize pediatric patients before they are transported to MUSC demonstrates the impact we have on children in this region.”

To correct Nasir’s complicated heart condition, the surgeons at MUSC would have to perform a series of three operations on him.

“(The first) was a long surgery, at least five to six hours,” Alexan said. “I paced the floors, because I could not sit still. After surgery, we were finally allowed to go see him. It was very overwhelming. But, he was still with us.”

The family didn’t have long to breathe a sigh of relief before they were rocked by the news that Nasir had suffered a complication from surgery.

“The hospital staff told us they were placing Nasir on a heart lung bypass machine. They said, ‘It’s the only way we can save your child,’” Alexan said. “It was a horrible sight. There were four large tubes coming out of his chest and he had to be restrained so he would not move. I just could not see any way out of this situation.”

Rasheem said he was scared during this whole experience but tried to be positive.

“I had never had to deal with anything like this before,” he said. “But, once he survived the first surgery I knew he was going to be OK. He is a fighter.”

Nasir’s recovery from surgery in intensive care was also very difficult for the family of a newborn. Alexan and Rasheem weren’t able to hold their son again for two months.

“We could only touch his feet and arms,” Rasheem said. “When we finally got to hold him, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest with joy.”

The joy seemed short-lived for Rasheem.

“We had just gotten where we could hold him again and then it was time for the second surgery,” he said.

Trant said the first surgery was a temporary measure at best until they could prepare Nasir for the second and third operations. Months after his initial operation, Nasir underwent his second surgery.

Nasir had his third and final surgery in August 2008 at age 3.

Today, Nasir is a very active little boy.

“There are very few limitations I have on Nasir now at age 4,” Trant said, “but down the road, if he wants to be linebacker, we will have to talk.”

“It is great having Dr. Trant here in Florence,” Alexan said. “Traveling to Charleston is difficult on all of us. Dr. Trant is always available if I have questions, and he is very attentive.”

“Nasir is basically living off the left pumping chamber of his heart, which is the workhorse part of a heart,” Trant said. “Nasir’s left pumping chamber is part of the reason he is doing great. His heart is pumping to meet his metabolic demands which are indeed being met.”

Alexan and Rasheem describe Nasir has a gift from God.

“He is our miracle boy. I still recall someone saying that first day that he was an hour away from death, but just look at him now,” Alexan said, smiling as Nasir ran off to play.

How to help

Donations to McLeod Children’s Hospital can be made during the Children’s Miracle Network Celebration Broadcast on WBTW News13 from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday by calling (843) 665-4100 or toll-free (866) 668-4862 or by visiting the McLeod Foundation Web site at http://www.mcleodfoundation.org and clicking on the Children’s Miracle Network icon for an online submission.