Lombard toddler recovering from heart surgery

Lombard toddler Tim Grobart came through his Monday morning heart surgery like a trouper, family members say.

"He's quite the fighter," said Jeff Grobart, Tim's dad.

The 16-month-old underwent a roughly two-hour procedure in Michigan during which a pediatric surgeon put a band around Tim's pulmonary artery to repair a leaking heart valve.

"The surgeon said everything went as well as you could hope for," Grobart said. "We're very happy."

Tim will remain in the pediatric intensive care unit for at least a day while doctors assess whether the band is at the proper tension.

If the band is too tight, it can cause the ventricle to fail, family members said. If it is too loose, it won't help.

During the surgery, leads were inserted just under the skin on Tim's chest so adjustments can be made without making a large incision.

The first echocardiogram Monday afternoon showed Tim's heart was responding well to the band and no adjustments were needed yet, Grobart said Monday night.

"The first 24 to 48 hours are the most critical time," Grobart said.

Tim likely will spend a week to 10 days recovering at the Michigan hospital with his mom, Christine, before returning home to continue his recuperation. His dad and big brother, Louis, are expected to head home sooner.

Friends and family here in Illinois were thrilled to hear the positive news.

"That's awesome," said family friend Katie Dehnke. "It's a relief. Last night, I couldn't sleep."

The procedure not only aimed to repair the leaking valve but also to prepare Tim's heart for a future surgery to further repair the organ.

Tim suffers from a rare heart condition in which the lower half of his heart operates in reverse. Instead of the stronger half of his heart pumping blood to his body, it is serving his lungs. And the weaker half is working in overdrive to pump blood to his body, his parents say.

That more complicated surgery, called a double switch, involves disconnecting major arteries from the heart chambers they are currently attached to and reconnecting them to the proper chambers.

Even if all goes well with both surgeries, Tim's future will involve operations roughly every five years for pacemaker repairs and replacement. There's also a chance he might need a heart transplant.

To help defray remaining medical expenses from Tim's surgeries and care, an account has been opened for him at Chase Bank in Lombard. Friends and relatives also are planning fundraisers.

Friends and family are overwhelmed by the recent outpouring of support. Dehnke, who is coordinating benefits, said many people have emailed to help organize benefits and to get more details about the Jewel "Shop and Share" event in March.

"I've been so surprised … shocked," Dehnke said. "There's been a lot of great response."

In order to learn about fundraisers and follow Tim's progress, visit www.carepages.com. Search for Tim's page, which is under TimGrobart as one word.