ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Through Tribulations and Triumphs, an Author Finds a Voice and a Cause
T
here was nothing unusual about Peachtree Corners resident Analy Navarro’s pregnancy. Like most first-time parents, she and her husband José looked forward to welcoming a baby, showering her with love and affection and nurturing her to grow up healthy and strong.
But something was amiss. Shortly after little Julia was born, she developed jaundice, a common newborn affliction reflecting high levels of bilirubin, a substance in bile, which is a liquid in the liver that assists digestion. Jaundice often goes away on its own or is easily cured with UV light treatment. It is especially common among Asians and Latinos. The jaundice cleared up but only temporarily. While breastfeeding, Navarro noticed Julia didn’t appear to be growing normally and had a green-olive tan, although both she and her husband are fair-skinned.
Delayed diagnosis Near panic, Navarro took the four-month-old to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) in Duluth, and subsequently to Egleston Children’s Hospital, where extensive testing revealed she had biliary atresia. The condition affects one in roughly 10,000 babies born in the U.S. and it’s the most common cause Continued on page 58 Above, Analy Navarro, mother and author of “Mighty Me,” with her daughter Julia.
By Ellen Berman
Photos by Tracey Rice
February/March 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine
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