Surviving and thriving Surviving thriving

Based on everything Ryder Thompson encountered — and survived — prior to turning 1, his first birthday, on Dec. 9, 2021, was more than a celebration. It was a day of reflection and gratitude.

“It was a whirlwind of emotions,” says Stephanie Thompson, Ryder’s mother. “It was such an exciting milestone because 12 months ago we had no idea where we’d be at this point. We’re just so excited to see him growing and doing things that we weren’t totally sure he’d be able to do. He’s such a little blessing.”

It was in October 2020, during a routine pregnancy check-up, that Stephanie’s care team at Essentia Health noticed what initially appeared to be an irregular heartbeat. Additional testing revealed a rare condition known as tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). A combination of four separate heart defects, TOF negatively impacts blood flow through the heart and can reduce the amount of oxygen that is delivered to the rest of the body. There are numerous potential complications, some of them life-threatening.

Stephanie and her family, including husband Ryan, were shocked. As her due date neared, Stephanie and Ryan weighed their options. They wanted to deliver at Essentia Health rather than Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis “because we had our care team there.”

That included pediatric cardiologist Kristina Rauser-Foltz, MD, as well as pediatricians, obstetrician-gynecologists and midwives.

The challenges did not end when Ryder was born. Conversely, they intensified. Ryder would need open-heart surgery at 6 months. Until then, the Thompsons were encouraged to help Ryder avoid periods of prolonged crying, which could have resulted in a “blue spell.” That compounded the nerve-racking uncertainty of Ryder’s congenital heart condition.

“He trained us,” Stephanie says. “If he squeaked, we’d come running.”

A day after turning 6 months old, Ryder had open-heart surgery at Children’s to repair the four defects of TOF. That procedure could have been delayed because Ryder contracted COVID-19 at 3 months. Lingering symptoms would have pushed back his surgery, but he received the green light. Things went well, and while Ryder likely will need additional surgeries down the road, recovery is on track.

Thanks no doubt in part to watching his older brother, 3-year-old Oliver, Ryder was walking at 11 months. “He’s a peanut,” mom says, but a healthy and happy one. The expectation is for Ryder to be able to do almost all the things little boys like to do. He should be able to play sports, though Stephanie says maybe not at an Olympic level. “I’m not too concerned with him being an Olympian,” she jokes.

More concerning to Stephanie, at least during a recent conversation shortly after his first birthday, was watching Ryder playfully throw himself off the couch. He learned that from Oliver, too, mom jokes.

She’s thankful for the care and dogged attention to detail of Dr. Rauser-Foltz, who has been there for the Thompsons every step of the way. Stephanie says she never felt like “just another number.”

Instead, Rauser-Foltz would reach out to her proactively, before and after Ryder was born. She told Stephanie “never be afraid to call.” The two regularly exchanged messages through MyChart.

At one point, Rauser-Foltz noticed that Stephanie had brought Ryder in to the Essentia Health-South University Clinic for walk-in care because he wasn’t feeling well. Rauser-Foltz called Stephanie before she was off the campus, just to check in.

“[Rauser-Foltz] really walked us through that whole process, and it was so comforting to me, knowing that she was there,” Stephanie says. “She was constantly consulting with her peers and letting us know that ‘It’s not just me making these decisions — it’s a team of experts working on your son’s case.’ That transparency was really cool. I was extremely happy and comfortable to be at Essentia.”

Rauser-Foltz is thrilled with Ryder’s progress.

“As a physician at Essentia, it’s a privilege to care for children with congenital heart disease, such as Ryder,” she says. “As a mother myself, I, too, can understand and empathize deeply with the worry and concern of parents like Stephanie and Ryan, who are going through these turbulent experiences. I am grateful for the relationships that I build with families like the Thompsons, and strive to provide the best care for each child that steps into my office.

“It has been rewarding to watch Ryder respond so well to surgery, and I look forward to continuing to see him grow and develop in the years to come.”