SAN ANTONIO – Quincy Riffle’s mom describes her 5-year-old son as a superhero, beaming with energy and enthusiasm in his everyday life. He’s usually so happy, she says, that you might not even know about his journey with congenital heart disease or how long it took to diagnose it.
“He is just amazing and lights up every room that he goes into,” said Kristina Riffle Welzien, Quincy’s mom. “He is the truest form of a warrior.”
Quincy was born prematurely and spent time in the NICU before going home to his parents. After that, Riffle Welzien said her son continued to get sick with respiratory illnesses and became tired very easily.
Quincy was originally diagnosed with a heart murmur, but his team of doctors soon found he had congenital heart disease.
“One of the most important organs in our body is the heart. And when the parents come to know that their child has a diagnosis of heart defect, I think their life is really kind of devastated,” said Dr. Ravi Ashwath, the division chief of pediatric cardiology at Christus Children’s Hospital.
Ashwath said Quincy has undergone two major surgeries to help his heart, which was found to have been missing certain parts.
“The shine and the light that comes out of the kid when they’re repaired and can run around like a normal kid — it’s priceless,” said Ashwath.
He said the major signs parents should look out for in their kids are trouble breathing, chest pains, excessive fatigue after normal activities, and passing out.
Now, Quincy and his parents want to encourage other families to get their children checked for congenital heart disease so they can receive potentially life-saving care.
“I think you should always ask questions if you think that something might be wrong with your child or suspect that something is off. Just advocate for them. That’s the most you can do as a parent,” Riffle Welzien said.
