Every day is not given. That’s a mantra 22-year-old Brandon Majerus tries to live by –approaching each day with purpose and striving to do his best. This drive comes from knowing that after he was born his family didn’t know if he would make it two days old, let alone 22 years.
Birth and transfer to Children’s Minnesota
Michelle gave birth to Brandon in April 2002 at a hospital in Rochester. Right away, the medical team could tell something was wrong. Initially, it was thought there was a problem with his lungs which prompted him to be transferred to Children’s Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis. But soon after he arrived, the Children’s Minnesota cardiovascular team realized the problem was with his heart.
Baby Brandon had obstructed total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), a congenital heart defect where the body doesn’t receive the oxygen rich blood it needs. The defect required early morning emergency heart surgery – only 12 hours after he was born. Michelle and Brandon’s dad, Brian, arrived from Rochester around the same time their newborn son was going into the operating room.
Overcoming obstacles
Brandon made it through surgery, but he was not in the clear yet. He was placed on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) for two weeks. The treatment temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs, so the patient has time to recover. Brandon faced more hurdles in the weeks that followed but he overcame them all.
“He doesn’t remember what happened but is very aware. He’s pulled through things that I know he should not have. There’s a purpose for his being,” described Michelle, who is a pediatric nurse and has cared for babies with heart and other conditions.
After two months in the hospital, Brandon was healthy enough to go home.
Move and growing up
The family moved to Kansas City a few months after he was discharged. Even after his TAPVR was repaired, he needed ongoing checkups with a cardiologist. Michelle remembers one appointment where the cardiologist did a scan of Brandon’s heart to get a look at his repair and told her to contact the surgeon. At first, she thought something was wrong.
“Why would he ask us to do this? But our cardiologist went on to explain that Brandon’s heart looked so good that it was like it was never surgically repaired and that is why I should call the surgeon, to tell them how well they did,” said Michelle.
Brandon grew up free of any heart or other major health issues. He played baseball at a junior college for two years before transferring to Kansas State University, where he has played club baseball for the last two years. He’s on his way to earning a degree in horticulture with a specialization in turf and grass management. This summer, he’s working as an intern with the grounds crew for the Minnesota Twins – a dream job for the lifelong Twins fan!
“I love being an intern. It doesn’t even feel like a job,” said Brandon. “My goal after graduation is to do exactly this, working for a professional or minor league baseball team or for a golf course.”
Reunion
Brandon has high regard for the care he received at Children’s Minnesota all those years ago. Anytime he visits the Twin Cities to see family, he stops by the Minneapolis hospital to take a selfie. But there is one person Brandon has never really met – the surgeon who repaired his heart – Dr. David Overman, chief of cardiovascular surgery at Children’s Minnesota. The reunion 22 years in the making finally happened in July.
“Words cannot express how grateful I am to Dr. Overman and the entire team that cared for me as a baby. Their skill and dedication gave me the chance to be where I am today. Their expertise and compassion changed my life. It’s why I look at everyday as a blessing,” said Brandon.
The reunion was also meaningful for Dr. Overman.
“When Brandon arrived, his heart condition was severe. Now seeing Brandon happy and healthy after all these years reminds us why we do what we do every day,” said Dr. Overman.
WCCO shares reunion
A century of caring for kids
Children’s Minnesota has been here for 100 years. And it’s all because of you: the people who bring your kids here, who work here, who refer patients for specialty treatment, who support our families with donations and who rally around them in the community. Join us in celebrating a century of care — and a bright, healthy future for Minnesota kids.
