Kash Jacob Dean son of Brad Dean and Kellie Tepen of Jerseyville IL, was born 2 months early on January 15, 2012, with a congenital heart disease called Tretrology of Fallot. When his mother (Kellie McKay Tepen) was pregnant her water broke at 18 weeks and she was admitted into St. Marys hospital in St. Louis, MO at 24 weeks and stayed in hospital for 9 weeks. Kash was born at 3 pounds 4 ounces and was transported directly to Cardinal Glennon hospital in St. Louis, MO. He spent the two months of his life in the NICU and PICU, and Doctors worked mainly on getting him bigger for so they could put a stent in his heart to give him some pulmonary blood flow, until he was big enough for a full repair.
Kash had made it to 5 pounds so they decided to try surgery and the surgery was unsuccessful and he was getting to much blood flow to his lungs and doctors put Kash on ECMO which is a life support for small babies. They waited a week and tried another procedure and Kash was doing great for about 12 hours and suddenly arrested. After doctors and nurses did CPR for about hour they put Kash back on ECMO for another week to let his heart rest. Then they decided to put a shunt in his pulmonary valve to open it a little. They tried to take Kash off of life support after and he was not quite ready so they waited and weened him slowing off and he was doing great and slowly went downhill overnight. Then Kash decided he had enough and it was time to go home and passed away on March 5, 2012. Doctors believe the cause of their failed attempts of surgeries, was due to his prematurity.
There will be an Annual "From The Heart" golf tournament in honor and remembrance of Kash and other children who have passed or suffered from a CHD, which is the #1 leading cause in childhood deaths. All proceeds will go to Cardinal Glennon and The Dallas Heart Center, and other parts of Cardinal Glennon hospital. Where Kash and his parents spent the 2 months of his short life, with some of the best doctors and nurses any child could ever ask for.
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