Isaiah Columbia is 17 months old. Already he’s gone through more than most people will during their entire lives.
Katie and Robbie Columbia learned 22 weeks into the pregnancy through a routine ultrasound that Isaiah suffered from a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and that upon birth, he would need immediate surgery.
“Basically the left side of his heart doesn’t work,” Katie said.
Isaiah had emergency surgery six hours after birth, where doctors tried to get the blood to flow from the right side of his heart to the left side to supply blood to his lungs.
Thirteen days later he underwent open heart surgery, and at five months old returned for a second open heart surgery.
More surgeries await the youngster, who spent the first 33 days of his life in the hospital.
Through it all, Isaiah looks and acts like most any child his age.
He plays with sisters Arielle, 8, and Emily, 3, and with the children Katie babysits during the day.
He likes his toys and the images on the television, and he smiles for the camera.
The only difference between Isaiah and the others is that he’s a little smaller than the children his age and has developed physically at a slower rate.
At 17 months, he doesn’t walk, but works once a week with a physical therapist to strengthen his muscles.
He has occupational therapy once every two weeks to help with feeding issues.
He also sees a cardiologist every six months.
And he needs medication daily.
Isaiah takes medicine to keep his blood pressure down, takes a half a baby aspirin to thin his blood, Zantac for reflux and Reglan for stomach absorption.
And the Columbias have to make sure he eats foods high in calories to make his heart strong.
“He gets tired easy, and he gets to breathing hard, and you have to hold him down and settle him, because he can’t do it on his own,” Katie said.
She said of children with Isaiah’s disease, “They don’t grow really fast, because their heart is having to pump so hard to make up for the other side.”
When he was first born, Isaiah had trouble eating and getting off the ventilator.
Isaiah is only getting 74-75 percent oxygen, but Katie’s hope is that he will eventually get up to 85-90 percent.
With another open heart surgery on the horizon when Isaiah gets bigger, and the possibility of a heart transplant when he gets older, it might seem the Columbias have a right to feel sorry for themselves, or be angry at the hand they’ve been dealt.
They’re not.
Their faith has gotten them through the hard times and delivered them through the good times.
“We contribute his being here to God,” Katie said. “If it weren’t for God, he wouldn’t have made it. The doctors didn’t even give him a 30-percent chance to survive. He shouldn’t have been born, according to the doctors.”
“It’s made us a stronger family,” Katie said. “We’re closer to God. The girls love their little brother and I think it’s due to the fact that they’ve all gone through this together.”
Isaiah will never be able to play contact sports, and being slowed down and getting tired are things he’ll have to learn to live with.
But right now, he appears happy and healthy, just like any other 17-month-old.
“It’s hard to tell by looking at him that there’s anything wrong with him,” Katie said. “Everybody who sees him is amazed. He’s always smiling. For what he’s been through, he’s amazing.”

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