The Tribune

By Morgan Adderley

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH he is only four years old, Ephraim Williams has already braved two open-heart surgeries and three catheterisations.

He still faces one more surgery to correct his condition, pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum.

“Pulmonary atresia is like a blockage,” Ephraim’s mother, Andrea Moxey, told The Tribune. “His right ventricle did not grow. The heart has four chambers, he basically has only three functioning.”

Ms Moxey detailed her son’s health struggles and expressed gratitude to the Antique Auto Club of The Bahamas. Proceeds from the organisation’s 31st annual antique auto show and cookout this Saturday will contribute to her son’s next surgery.

Ephraim was born on March 22, 2013, at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

According to his mother, he “started to lose oxygen (approximately) eight hours after birth”.

Fortunately, she said, “the (staff at PMH) acted very quickly, they were very good”.

“They realised something was wrong and they rushed him to the (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). And they said that he was very ill,” his mother said.

“They couldn’t detect it at the time because they were not specialists, but they said they believe it’s something with his heart.”

The next day, Ephraim’s doctor, Jerome Lightbourne, performed an echocardiogram (echo test) on the infant.

Four days later, Ephraim was airlifted to Miami Children’s Hospital. At three weeks old, he had his first catheterisation and his first open heart surgery.

These procedures required that he stay in the hospital for a total of six weeks.

When Ephraim was three months old, he had to undergo a second catheterisation. This was when the family realised that his US insurance coverage had been maxed out.

However, Ephraim still needed to have a second surgery after his first birthday.

This, Ms Moxey added, is when the Sir Victor Sassoon Heart Foundation stepped in.

She said: “(The Heart Foundation) paid for his second surgery. They paid for everything — the housing for us and the surgery.”

The surgery was completed at the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Florida.

Ephraim is now a happy four-year-old, but he still has one more major surgery on the horizon.

According to Ms Moxey: “This should give him complete oxygen, at least up to 97 percent, close to 100.

“Because right now he is just like between 75 and 85 (percent). We’re all supposed to be on 100 percent, he’s actually on like 85 percent oxygen. He cannot go further in life with that amount of oxygen to have a healthy life.”

Ms Moxey estimates that the cost of this surgery will be in the $70,000 range.

Through the Heart Foundation, Ephraim has been selected as one of the beneficiaries of the proceeds of the Antique Auto Show and Cookout.

Antique Auto Club director Murray Forde said the group was affected by Ephraim’s story.

Mr Forde said: “I was quite impressed with Ms Moxey and the story she told about the child’s illness and how knowledgeable she was about the various surgeries he had had to undergo.

“The main part of the event is the auto show. Our definition of ‘antique’ is 25 years old, although we often get some that we call ‘special interest’ that may not be 25 years old that are also welcome to be there.

“And anyone is welcome to display a car. If it doesn’t meet one of our classifications it may not be able to be judged but they’re quite able to display it.”

Mr Forde continued: “The cookout is the fundraising part, because every year we choose a charity involving needy children.

“Whatever we make on the show, every dime goes back to the community, to a charity to help the selected recipient.

“We also last year introduced a scholarship at (Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute), for $1,000 for a student involved in auto mechanics, and specially body works.”

This scholarship was created in memory of a founding member, Charles Johnson, who owned a successful body shop.

Mr Forde said every two years; the Heart Foundation is the charity the Antique Auto Club supports.

Despite his challenges, Ephraim is a happy little boy, his mother said.

“He’s grown happy and well. He’s progressed very well. We go every six months for echoes,” she said.

“The biggest side effect is he gets tired very easily. He plays well just like every child. He’s learning, he’s talking, and he’s walking.”

• Tickets for the cookout can be purchased through Mr Forde (393-1892); Freeman Deveaux, Auto Club vice president & show chairman (424-9022); or Peter Armstrong, secretary (676-5760).