Shannon Murray shares update on unborn daughter's health condition
DALLAS - FOX 4 Good Day anchor Shannon Murray is sharing an update about her unborn daughter.
Shannon and her husband, Chris, are expecting a baby girl in March. Her name is Stella.
Baby Stella is due in March.
About halfway through the pregnancy, they learned Stella has a rare heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia.
That means there is essentially a hole between the left and right side of her heart, and she is missing her pulmonary valve as well.
She will need open-heart surgery and other procedures to save her life once she is born.
Shannon and Chris have spent the last several months processing the news and working with a medical team to prepare for both the delivery and Baby Stella’s care.
She said it has taken some time to wrap their heads around what the diagnosis means for them as first-time parents who are already nervous about bringing a baby home.
They’re also unsure what it means for their daughter's future, knowing she will likely need multiple open-heart surgeries in her lifetime, and it will be a life-long journey for their family.
The good news is that the heart condition is treatable, and doctors assure them that Stella can live a normal life.
Shannon and Chris are hopeful that she will be able to play sports someday, and maybe she will even be a snowboarder like her dad.
Olympian Shaun White also has Tetralogy Fallot. Doctors told them about his case right away because they needed some reassurance.
In the short term, though, they are focused on fighting for their daughter and being her advocates, while also remaining joyful and excited about the pregnancy and becoming parents.
They cannot wait to meet Baby Stella next month!