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Our Kids - Meet Sara Karlie

Sara Karlie, 10 months, Down syndrome and heart condition

Sara loves to laugh and can spend countless hours playing on her jungle gym. Her name means “strong princess” and it is a role she has fulfilled every day of her life. Looking at Sara Karlie today, you might never know the struggles she first encountered when she was born.

“A nurse at SickKids said that once a year they get a miracle and that this year Sara was it,” says Nicole. “That is exactly how her father and I feel.”

When Sara’s mother Nicole was 27 weeks pregnant, her doctor had a difficult time examining Sara through the ultrasound. Nicole had three times the average amount of amniotic fluid and her doctor suspected Sara had a heart condition. Nicole was deemed a high-risk pregnancy and Sara was brought to SickKids immediately after birth.

Sara was diagnosed with Down syndrome, a genetic condition that causes problems in the way a child develops both mentally and physically. Sara was also diagnosed with a heart defect. As a result, Sara underwent two heart operations, including an open heart surgery.

Sara stayed at SickKids from June 2010 to January 2011. She relied on a breathing tube, a feeding tube and wore a hip brace for two months. She remained in the Critical Care Unit almost the entire time until she was discharged. On her last day at the Hospital, doctors and nurses cheered as Sara left SickKids for the first time in her life.

Today, Sara is 10-months-old and continues to grow. She visits SickKids often for her follow-up appointments and makes tremendous progress despite her physical challenges. She no longer requires her breathing tube and will soon undergo a procedure to have her esophagus stretched. Once completed, the procedure will allow her feeding tube to be removed permanently.

“We look at her smiling and playing and we just can’t imagine our lives without her,” says Nicole. “She has touched so many people and I have no doubt she will continue to do so for a long time.”

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