Little Hero and BFFs Brave Little Heart Warriors

Chapter 1

Hot shot is five years old. He is a very active and playful child. He lives with his father Heatwave and his mother Quickshadow. They all live in a house in Houston Texas.

Heatwave is a firefighter. He is a very brave and strong man. He has helped save many lives in his line of work. He has responded to fires, car wrecks, and other types of emergencies. He has the respect of his fellow firefighters. He is also very loving, kind and understanding. He loves his wife and son very much.

Quickshadow is a pediatric cardiology nurse. She is very kind and helpful woman. She helps kids with heart problems everyday at Texas Children's Hospital. She sees kids with all kinds of heart conditions of all ages. She sees very mild heart problems to very severe. She has respect of the doctors and her fellow nurses. The patients and their parents love to see her. She is very loving, caring and understanding. She loves her husband and son with all her heart.

Hot shot loves his parents a lot too. Hot shot is a very active and playful child. Hot shot loves sports, animals, the color yellow, to play outside and be helpful. Hot shot is the kind of child who enjoys physical activity. He has a playset he loves very much. It was made by a good friend of his father's. Hot shot has his favorite toy, a stuffed rhino named Roxy. Hot shot does his best to listen and obey his parents.

Hot shot is an all around very healthy child too. Hot shot would often get bumps, cuts, scrapes and bruises. But all children get those, and active children like Hot shot get them more often. Hot shot sometimes got fevers, or sore throats, or tummy aches, but he got over them quickly. He never been to the ER or Hospital. His parents were happy for that.

However Hot shot maybe an active child he does have a problem. He tires and runs out of breath quickly and experiences chest pains. He has had that problem since he was very small and now it is getting worse. His parents noticed this and made an appointment with his doctor right away.

Hot shot was now at the doctors office to see his pediatrician Dr. Erret. Hot shot was worried he was rarely worried when going to see Dr. Erret, because she was nice. But right now his parents thought something hasn't been right with him for a while so they wanted to find out. The thought of finding out what maybe wrong made him worried and scared.

Dr. Erret was happy to see Hot shot. "Welcome Hot shot," Dr. Erret said. "It is good to see you, sorry to here you aren't doing so good," she said.

"Hot shot is running out breathe easily, he gets tired easily, he says he feels a fluttering in his chest and chest pain," Quickshadow said.

Dr. Erret examined Hot shot and had feeling something might be going on with Hot shot's heart. "Take Hot shot to Legacy to the heart center with one of it's heart clinics. He needs to see a pediatric cardiologist," Dr. Erret said.

"Very well," Quickshadow said.

"We will take him there," Heatwave said.

Hot shot was taken to Legacy Tower at Texas Children's  to see the special doctor. Hot shot was very nervous. "What is a pediatric car-car.." Hot shot tried to say.

"A cardiologist is a heart doctor," Quickshadow said. "They help hearts feel better," she said. "A pediatric cardiologist is heart doctor for children," she said. "They help the hearts of children feel better," she said.

"How?" Hot shot asked.

"Lots of ways, sometimes they do special thing fix the heart leaving a zipper like mark, other times they give medicine, or special diet," Quickshadow said. "It all depends on the situation," she said. "But don't worry it is all normal," she said.

"Oh okay," Hot shot said. "I am kind of scared, are heart problems rare?" he asked.

"No they are very common in both adults and children so you are by far not alone millions of children have heart problems," Quickshadow said.

"What are they going to do?" Hot shot asked.

"They are going to do some tests to help find out what is wrong," Quickshadow said.

"Like what?" Hot shot asked. "How am I going to feel better?' he asked.

"I know you have a lot of questions right now poppet," Quickshadow said. "I have a feeling this might help," she said. She pulled up a video to help Hot shot understand one of the tests the doctor might do. It was about EKG it was going to see how his heart was doing. He saw how it would happen and how the armadillo explained it and how quick it was. Then Hot shot watched the video about the echocardiogram which gave him an idea of what may happen as it was explained. Hot shot felt better about it and Hot shot even watch the video that showed that he had nothing to be scared of and how the doctors will try to make him better once they know what is wrong.

Then Hot shot felt a bit better. Hot shot saw four other kids his age there who looked worried too. "Hi I am Hot shot I am here because my doctor thinks there is something wrong with my heart," Hot shot said.

"My doctor thinks so too," Hoist said. "I am Hoist by the way," he said.

"I am Medix and my doctor sent me here to see if my heart is okay," Medix said.

"I am Whirl and my doctor wants my heart looked at too," Whirl said.

"I am here for that reason too, I am Wedge," Wedge said.

"I hope I am going to be okay," Hot shot said. "I am kind of scared," he said.

"Me too," Hoist said.

"I am scared as well," Medix said.

"I am scared too," Whirl said.

"Same here," Wedge said.

Then Hot shot's turn came and he was very nervous about it. He was hoping everything was going to be okay. Hot shot met the doctor her name was Dr. Peri. "Hello Hot shot I am Dr. Peri," Dr. Peri said. "It's nice to meet you," she said.

"Hi," Hot shot said. 

"Now we are going to start with a simple examination," Dr. Peri said.

Dr. Peri first had Hot shot's blood pressure taken, and did a pulse oximeter test. Hot shot was wondering what was going to happen next. Then a nurse did the EKG and an Echo cardiogram.

"I feel like a computer," Hot shot said when the EKG was done. 

The gel for the echo was very gooey. But Hot shot did his best to stay still. After the tests Dr. Peri wanted Hot shot to get a few more tests done. "Hot shot I want you to get a chest x-ray and a cardiac MRI I want more pictures of your heart," Dr. Peri said. 

"Will they hurt?" Hot shot asked.

"No not at all," Dr. Peri said. "It will be okay these tests just take pictures of your insides," she said.

Hot shot stayed nice and still for the chest x-ray and MRI. Hot shot was wondering what was going to happen next. He was holding on to Roxy the rhino the whole time. Hot shot was wondering what was going to happen once Dr. Peri looked at the pictures.

Dr. Peri looked at the test results and saw the Hot shot has a heart defect that rarely goes undiagnosed for a long time. Hot shot was going to need help. 

Dr. Peri came into the room to talk to Hot shot and his parents. "I got the test results and Hot shot has a heart defect that rarely goes undiagnosed unless it is mild to moderate like his is," Dr. Peri said. "Hot shot has tetralogy of Fallot and needs surgery," she said.

"What is that and surgery?" Hot shot asked.

"Your heart isn't formed right and because of that it doesn't work right, and it needs help to work right," Dr. Peri said. "So once it gets the help it needs you will be stronger and play better," she said.

Hot shot was worried but was ready to be brave. He held on to Roxy the rhino tight and was ready to face this.