An abnormal heart in her newborn, a devastating flaw,
one that this mother blames herself for.
Although the cause is unclear, she still cries,
and unaware of her own genetic code.
These vital genes, construct the heart;
the most important organ to life.
Distorted valves and chambers affected by Congenital Heart Disease,
lead to an unpromising future.
Her precious newborn, calm and tranquil,
develops an abnormal blood flow.
CHD corrupts his heart and blood,
Truncus Arteriosus deprives him of oxygen: the supplement of life.
Only one abnormal valve protrudes from his heart,
oxygenated and deoxygenated blood churn together.
Hypoxic cells scream out for desperate help,
for they are only supplemented with depleted blood.
A placid child, with a fatal destination,
a risky surgery, his only hope.
At such a young age, weak and frail,
this operation, not always successful.
There must be a way, his mother wonders,
without the risk of her child’s death, to cure the dangerous disease.
She ponders, could there be a prenatal cure,
to spare generations of offspring to come?
Researches around the world struggle with her thought,
could there be an antepartum cure?
They look into the tropical Zebrafish,
sea creatures that might hold the answer to their question.
Observable in their embryonic state,
researchers can study crucial genes and their role in development,
those which cause abnormal changes in the heart,
and to solve the forsaken mystery of CHD.
Please read the original research story- Fishing for Clues to the Cause of CHD
This poem was written by cYw33. As always, before leaving a response to this post please view our Rules of Conduct. Thanks! -cYw Editorial Staff