OU Children’s Hospital raising awareness during American Heart Month

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - February is known as American Heart Month and OU Children’s Hospital kicked it off by spreading awareness about the number one birth defect in children, which is congenital heart defects.

"Obviously it's tough losing a child, no matter how,” Blake Mills said.

Mills lost his son Paxton in Dec. 2016, just less than a month after he was born, due to a devastating heart defect. Blake himself was diagnosed as a child with a heart defect as well.

"Because my son was here and had his treatment here, I realized there was a place for adults to get congenital heart defects fixed as well,” Mills said.

OU Children’s Hospital is highlighting congenital heart defects this week to raise awareness. Over a year after Blake’s son died, he absorbed the news that he needed a second open heart surgery.

"I believe that my son led me to this hospital to have a normal, healthy life and as I said earlier, he's my hero for that,” Mills said.

About 500 babies are born with congenital heart defects each year in Oklahoma. Half of them only need to be monitored. The other half will need surgery.

"With 25 percent of them needing that done in the first year of life,” Dr. Harold Burkhart, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, said.

Fortunately, a vast majority of children who have heart surgeries will lead normal lives.

"Improved treatment has led to more people with congenital heart disease living longer,” Tracy Cothran said. The president of children’s services at OU Health. “That's a wonderful outcome."

With a mended heart, Mills is now helping others in honor of his son through an organization called mended little hearts. They help families going through similar medical treatments. You can find more about them here.

Last October, OU Children’s Hospital performed a successful heart transplant on a child, which was the state’s first in 30 years.