Back in Kosovo after life-saving surgery, Lis ’s heart remains in Boston

Like many kids, Lis Spahiu loves wearing his Boston Celtics and New England Patriots t-shirts. His mom, Zana, jokes that sometimes she needs to hide them so he’ll wear something else. But Lis isn’t a typical Boston sports fan. This 5-year-old from Kosovo has grown to love Boston, and its sports teams, after several trips to the Boston Children’s Hospital to receive life-saving care for his heart. “In Kosovo, the health care system is very poor,” explains Lis’s mom Zana. “So when Lis contracted Kawasaki disease at 5 months old, he was misdiagnosed.” Kawasaki disease causes inflammation of the blood vessels. When caught and treated early, most children recover without any lasting problems. But when diagnosis is delayed, Kawasaki disease can cause long-term damage to the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. A late diagnosis leads to larger problems “After a month, he still wasn’t feeling well, so we took him to Belgrade because the doctors in Kosovo didn’t have any answers,” says Zana. In Belgrade, Lis was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and was given intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), the standard treatment. But they hadn’t caught it in time. “Giant coronary arteries had formed and he had clots in his left descending artery,” says Zana. This meant Lis required more IVIG treatments and frequent follow-ups to check on his arteries. Since this care was not available in Kosovo, the family continued traveling to Belgrade for treatment....
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Coronary Artery Program Dr. Jane Newburger Dr. Luis Quinonez Kawasaki disease Kawasaki Disease Program Source Type: news