Tiny Heart, Big Dreams: Joel Earp’s Journey to Heart Health
When first meeting Joel Earp, it is hard to believe he had a heart condition that required specialized care from Harbin Clinic’s Pediatric Cardiology team. Now a master of outdoor survival skills and a lover of Minecraft, 8-year-old Joel was born with a hole in his heart. Only a few hours after birth, an echocardiogram was ordered to get a good read on what was happening with his little heart. It was discovered that he had a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), which allowed oxygen-rich blood to flow from the left ventricle into the right ventricle, instead of flowing into the aorta and out to the body.
With what felt like mounting, medical concerns weighing on Joel’s parents, Thelma and Harrison Earp were comforted by the arrival of pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Joshua Donner. In an interview about her experience, Thelma described how Dr. Donner’s hospital visit put them at ease. When he arrived, he grabbed a piece of paper and started drawing an anatomical heart for them.
“This is where the hole is in Joel’s heart,” he said. “It should close up within a year. We will continue to monitor him, and we are right here in Rome. We will walk through this together.”
Powerful Patient Experience
“He was right,” Thelma said. “The first year of a baby’s life is full of doctor appointments. While I was trying to handle multiple children and multiple appointments, it was incredibly helpful that the Harbin Clinic Pediatric Cardiology office was so convenient and such a warm environment to visit.”
Thelma went on to share how Dr. Donner and Dr. Henaro Sabino, Harbin Clinic pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist, went out of their way to comfort Joel’s older sister during her brother’s doctor visits.
“They spoke on her level and made her feel like she was a part of the team,” said Thelma. She also talked about how easily they communicated with her children’s pediatrician, Dr. Robersteen Howard of Harbin Clinic Pediatrics Rome.
“There was excellent reporting between the two departments. I did not have to try to remember and relay medical information,” said Thelma. “Joel was known across the system, and with so much on my mind, this was an added comfort. When Harbin Clinic reached out to me about National Heart Health Month, I jumped at the chance to tell his story. The pediatric cardiology team in Rome cares for more than the heart of your child, they care for the whole person and frankly, the whole family.”
Complete Care Close to Home
The CDC estimates that every 15 minutes a baby is born in the U.S. with a heart defect. Having access to a specialized pediatric cardiologist in northwest Georgia ensures timely and effective care for children in need. Get to know Dr. Joshua Donner and Dr. Henaro Sabino and the compassionate care they give to children (birth to age 21) who have disorders of the heart, arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels (vascular diseases). Join the Earp Family and Harbin Clinic in saying thank you to the doctors who care for the youngest hearts in northwest Georgia this month. To learn more about Dr. Donner and the Harbin Clinic cardiology, visit https://harbinclinic.com/services/cardiology/.
