A Different Kind of Heart

Amy Pervine views photos of her daughter after Addi's second heart surgery. "It was really rough seeing her like that," said Amy.

Addison Pervine washes her hands while in the arms of her mother, Amy. "She loves to wash her hands, she'd do it all day long if we'd let her," said Amy. The Pervines take many measures to keep Addison from getting sick, because any infection or illness could be deadly because of her heart condition. "During the flu season, we have to be careful taking her out. . . She can't be around people who are coughing and sniffling and all that," said her father, Trevor. "Last year from October through March we didn't take her anywhere in the public because she can't get sick. . . We don't even shake people's hands in church because we don't want to spread germs," Amy said.

Addison Pervine gets her nightly dose of Enalapril, a heart medication taken twice daily to keep her heart beating at a regular pace. After being subjected to surgeries and daily medication from the time she was born, she is used to taking her meds every morning and night. "She went through a phase for about six to eight months where it was a battle every night to get her to take her medication, but now she's usually really good about it," said her mother, Amy.

Teresa Pervine passes a bottle of formula to her granddaughter Addison from the front seat on a trip to Nashville to meet family for lunch. Although most babies her age take the same type of formula, Addison's bottle contains roughly six times the calorie concentration of a normal dose, due to her heart condition, to help her keep her weight up.

Amy Pervine puts socks on Addison's feet before putting her to bed. "We have to dress her really warm at night because she has bad circulation. . . She wakes up some nights and her legs just feel like ice," Amy said.

Addison Pervine, 19 months old, right, shows signs of fatigue at a nursery Bible class being taught by Kay Boyd, top, Wednesday night at Sutton Lane Church of Christ. Addi has a heart defect that causes her oxygenated blood to mix with un-oxygenated blood in her heart, making her tire more easily than other children. "Her oxygen (saturation) level stays at about 80 to 85%, which is too low for normal people to function, but her body is just used to working that way," said Addi's mother, Amy.

Kentucky State Police officer Trevor Pervine buttons up his uniform at his home in Mayfield before leaving for a court hearing in Murray. He has patrolled Graves County for the five years he has worked as a trooper and is the sole provider for his family. "I know if I'm killed or anything like that, they'll be taken care of. . . I'm worth much more money dead than I am alive," said Trevor.

In the hands of her mother, Amy, Addison Pervine is lifted out of the tub to be dried off after her Wednesday morning bath. Keeping Addi and her environment clean is a constant effort because she is greatly at risk from common illness. "Because of her heart condition, we have to make sure she doesn't get sick. . . Any respiratory illness would cause hospitilization and could be fatal for her," said Amy Pervine.

Amy Pervine irons her daughter's clothing in Addison's bedroom while the toddler watches Elmo before being put to bed Tuesday night. Amy stays at home with her daughter every day, while her husband, Trevor, works the night shift as a Kentucky state trooper.