Joining Hearts for Paisley

By Rebeka Ware

When imagining a typical child, most see a tiny human who runs around with no cares or worries in the world.  This specific little girl acts like an ordinary toddler who loves to play, dance, sing, and laugh.   Looking at this three-year-old girl with amazingly high spirits, a bystander would never guess she has faced extreme health problems and continues to fight each day.  This energetic and strong little girl is Paisley Straub who has battled heart issues her whole life. 

Paisley Straub is the daughter of Candice and Chad Straub of McIntosh and granddaughter of Rod Brown, Jeff & Sherrie Witherbee, Shirley Straub & Chad Smeby, and Danny & Gail Straub.  She was born on May 10th of 2016 with a heart defect known as Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum.  This defect means that the valve in Paisley’s heart that allows blood to travel from the heart to the lungs did not exist.  She did not have that key connection between her heart and her lungs so doctors wanted to get Paisley started on a medication called prostaglandin when she was born that would give her a patent connection of the heart and lungs.   After this, the plan was to perform a series of three surgeries to put a shunt in.

Three days after Paisley’s birth, her doctors discovered that Paisley also had Right Ventricular dependent Coronary Circulation. This meant the lower right part of her heart was smaller than it should be and was too firm, making it difficult for blood to be pumped out of the heart.  Because of Paisley’s overworked coronary arteries, the series of surgeries planned was scratched and at ten days old she was placed on the transplant list and in the meantime kept on her medication.  After five and a half months of waiting for a new heart, Paisley underwent a direct heart transplant on October 13th of 2016.  The results of this transplant were very pleasing, doctors had no major concerns and she accepted the new heart nicely. 

Paisley got to go home in November and started living somewhat of a normal life with mom and dad keeping an eye on things and providing a safe and sterile environment for her. It wasn’t until last summer in a post-transplant lab, that she started to have problems again.  The doctor’s confirmed that Paisley’s EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) levels were beyond high and that she also had developed a post-transplant lymphoma.  Her doctors decided to observe these levels for about a year and then in May of 2019 they started Paisley on rituximab infusions over the course of four weeks in hopes of shrinking the lymphoma.

Paisley definitely hasn’t been able to completely experience the life of a stereotypical child with her struggles.  She struggles with eating, has major reflux, doesn’t gain enough weight, and has a gastrostomy tube.  Living so far away from her main hospital down in the cities means there is a lot more at-home therapies and training that Paisley’s parents, Chad and Candice, have to take responsibility of.

Several trips to the cities, medical bills, and prescriptions have overwhelmed the Straub family when they should only have to focus on their healing little girl.  Chad, Candice, sister Taydin, brother Weston, and Paisley herself would genuinely appreciate any support from the surrounding communities that they can get. Please join us on August 10th of 2019 for a benefit to help Paisley’s family lessen the burden of money.  The “Joining Hearts for Paisley Benefit” will be a family-friendly event held at the Ruffed Grouse Roadhouse in Lengby, MN at 4 pm.  There will be a pig roast at this event and plenty of activities including a silent auction, bean bag tournament, raffles, kids games, shirts for sale, and a DJ playing later in the evening.