BOSTON BOUND

Karen Bartholet used the Internet to research her son's condition.

The Bartholets used the remaining three months of the pregnancy to research their unborn baby's condition and to seek out the most experienced pediatric cardiologists they could find. Karen polled her colleagues in the nursing profession and learned to surf the Internet to find the best care for her baby.

"I give Karen all the credit for even having the initiative to do all that research," Rob says affectionately of his wife. "I wish it was my idea, but it was all her."

The search led Karen to send an email to Boston's Children's Hospital. Dr. Jonas called the Bartholets the next day. Karen and Rob were impressed.

The first heart operation ever performed took place at Boston's Children's Hospital in 1938. Since then, Children's Hospital has continued to innovate and pioneer cardiovascular procedures on children and babies. The Bartholet baby would be one more beneficiary of that work.

THE BIG DAY

Zach weighed 6.9 lbs. at birth

Zachary Thomas Bartholet was born on May 20, 1998 at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. Karen and Rob had opted for a c-section delivery, to ensure the best doctors would be on hand for Zachary's entrance into the world. Having painstakingly chosen the hospital, the doctors and even the moment of Zachary's birth, the expectant father felt something like serenity.

"I felt pretty good actually," says Rob. "We could not have done any more than we had already done. It was in God's hands now."

All went well, and two days later Zachary underwent his first surgery at Children's Hospital. Dr. Jonas placed a shunt between the newborn's heart and lungs to allow Zachary to grow bigger and stronger. But there would be more surgeries to come.