“She came to change a lot of things,” says Thaila Ayala of her daughter Tereza after heart surgery
Fantástico spoke to actors Renato Goés and Thaila Ayala about the recovery of their baby daughter Tereza. At the beginning of July, the twomonthold little girl underwent surgery for a heart problem discovered in the womb.
Renato and Thaila shared that the desire to have a child was born before they made their relationship official. For the actress, however, motherhood wasn’t a dream, she linked the experience to a loss of freedom and had concerns based on the stories of friends who had gone through solo motherhood or postpartum depression.
Despite the fears and insecurities, the couple decided to embark on the journey of motherhood. However, during her first pregnancy, Thaila struggled with health complications, including HELLP syndrome a syndrome that causes high blood pressure, headaches and nausea. While the disease was unrelated to the baby, it put both of them at risk. At the age of 33 weeks, Chico was born via Caesarean section.
The roller coaster ride began again when the couple learned they were expecting their second child six months after Chico’s birth.
“So there’s always that thing, you’re still breastfeeding, you’re still not getting pregnant… So we made a little table, that thing… And it happened,” says the actress.
1 of 2 Actor couple Renato Goés and Thaila Ayala with their children Francisco and Tereza — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Actor couple Renato Goés and Thaila Ayala with their children Francisco and Tereza — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
Diagnosis of the couple’s daughter
The fathers organized the tea, but the baby’s echocardiogram did not reveal anything yet. They discovered that Tereza had interventricular communication (CIV), a hole between the chambers of the heart that drains some of the blood. Some rooms close on their own, others have no impact.
“And then… the doctor saw the whole heart and at the end I was almost getting dressed he said ‘Wait.’ And he found a VSD,” reports Thaila.
In 100 births, one baby is born with heart disease — and that’s it CIV is most common. Tereza’s cardiologist explained that less efficient blood flow burns more calories. Blood doesn’t serve the organs that well.
“They reduce flow to the gut, reduce absorption of nutrients, and that leads to a more obvious consequence for families, which is little weight gain and often little height gain as well,” says cardiologist Gustavo Foronda.
Weight gain was an important indicator of her health, but even with proper nutrition, there were weeks when Tereza didn’t gain even 10 grams. The baby would not resist a normal delivery. She was born in the 39th week via caesarean section and weighed two kilos, lighter than her brother Chico, who was born prematurely.
“My baby is less than three and a half kilos”
When Tereza was born, her parents were primarily concerned with the need for an operation.
“There was one when she went to the bathroom and I asked the doctor: How was it? (…) And then I asked him and he said: It’s a really difficult operation. I’ll never get that out of my head.” He said yes, opening. Then wow! When she came back from the bathroom, I thought: “My God, I haven’t had the courage to talk to her for a while,” said Renato Goés.
The mother describes that Tereza’s operation was a delicate procedure.
“Open chest, saw, remove all blood from heart, remove from lungs, operate, intubate, return blood to heart, close chest and exit pacemaker. My baby weighs less than three and a half kilos.”, Thaila vented.
The surgeon managed to sew up the heart with biological tissue. The doctors said that Tereza’s problem was theoretically solved and she would lead a normal life. Despite her concerns, the surgery was successful and Tereza returned home after just ten days.
2 of 2 Thaila with her daughter Tereza on her lap, on her way to her little one’s practice Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Thaila with her daughter Tereza on her lap, on her way to her little one’s practice Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
“Certainly that has all changed. Really the values, and you see everything from a different perspective, so I think it’s about changing the parents first, but I think it’s really changed a lot of things,” concludes Thaila.
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