Xavier’s story highlights the challenges of a truncus arteriosus diagnosis and the life‑changing impact of specialized pediatric heart surgery. Through expert care and family support, his journey offers hope to others facing congenital heart defects.
Melissa and Ricardo McClain dreamed of the moment they’d meet their baby boy; picturing his first cry, his first smile and the chance to hold him close. Those dreams shifted just weeks before his birth when a routine ultrasound revealed a rare and serious heart condition.
Instead of preparing a nursery in El Paso, the young couple suddenly found themselves packing bags for an urgent trip hundreds of miles away. Their journey led them to CHRISTUS Children’s in San Antonio, Texas, where a team of specialists stood ready to give baby Xavier the best chance at life.
At 37 weeks pregnant, Melissa’s ultrasound showed something unusual with her baby’s heart. A cardiologist confirmed the diagnosis, identifying it as truncus arteriosus: a rare congenital heart defect where the two main arteries leaving the heart are fused into one.
“We were told we needed to leave El Paso immediately,” said Melissa. “I thought I was just going to work that day, and the next thing I knew, we were preparing to fly out for life-saving care.”
Within 24 hours, arrangements were made for Melissa to travel to CHRISTUS Children’s. Her husband Ricardo and her mother accompanied her, knowing Xavier would need surgery shortly after birth.
Once in San Antonio, Melissa’s care team monitored her closely. Because every contraction caused Xavier’s heart rate to dip, doctors scheduled a C-section for May 13; However, Melissa went into labor earlier than expected.
Xavier arrived on May 6, 2025, at 38 weeks and 3 days. The sudden delivery took place naturally, with Melissa surrounded by more than a dozen specialists.
“It wasn’t what we expected at all,” Melissa said. “They told me I was already at 10 centimeters, and before I knew it, he was here. I only got to hold him for a second before they took him to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with all these wires and tubes. It was so overwhelming.”
Just six days later, Xavier underwent his first open-heart surgery with Dr. Victor Bautista-Hernandez, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at CHRISTUS Children’s. During the four-hour procedure, Dr. Bautista created two separate arteries and placed a conduit to help Xavier’s heart function properly. He also closed a ventricular septal defect and repaired a leaking truncal valve.
“Seeing him afterward was awful,” Melissa said. “His chest was left open with a yellow covering; he had a breathing tube down his throat and there were drains coming from his heart. He looked puffy and weak. It was like something out of Grey’s Anatomy, but the doctors told me he was stable, and I held onto that.”
As Xavier recovered, more challenges came. Feeding from a bottle was difficult, so on June 12, he underwent a second surgery to place a G-tube in his abdomen.
Then, just as the McClains were preparing for discharge, a routine echocardiogram revealed another serious problem: a pseudoaneurysm had formed on the conduit from his first surgery.
“I felt like we were never going to go home,” Melissa said. “I had to call my husband and tell him they were taking Xavier back into surgery. It was devastating.”
On June 23, Dr. Bautista performed a six-hour emergency surgery to remove the pseudoaneurysm. The first two days of recovery were difficult. Xavier’s numbers fluctuated, and he was unstable until doctors carefully adjusted his medications. Slowly, he began to improve.
Throughout Xavier’s nearly three months in the hospital, Melissa leaned on the CHRISTUS Children’s team. From nurses and lactation consultants to chaplains who checked in daily, they became like a second family.
“The nurses were my best support system,” said Melissa. “Nathan, one of the nurses, was our best friend in the hospital. He always made us feel like everything was going to be okay. Since I didn’t have family there, the nurses truly became my family.”
The Ronald McDonald House inside the hospital also provided Melissa a safe space, just one floor above the NICU.
On July 29, Xavier was discharged and was finally able to return home to El Paso. Though he still requires a G-tube for supplemental feeding, daily medications and a pulse oximeter to monitor his heart, his personality shines through.
“Now he’s happy, smiley and giggling,” Melissa said. “Every day feels like progress. Even seeing him take a little by bottle is such a big win.”
Ricardo McClain, Melissa’s husband and Xavier’s dad, agrees. “Despite all the challenges he’s faced, I’m so glad he’s been able to overcome them all and be as strong as he is now.”
“It’s not how I imagined bringing a baby home,” Melissa admitted, “but we’ve built a system that works, and seeing Xavier grow stronger makes all of it worth it.”
Xavier’s journey isn’t over. Because there are no artificial valves small enough for him yet, his doctors expect he will need multiple procedures in the years ahead, including another open-heart surgery when he is older. Still, Melissa and Ricardo remain hopeful and grateful.
“The biggest thank you goes to Dr. Bautista and every single nurse who cared for Xavier,” Melissa said. “They saved our baby’s life and gave us hope.”
For other families facing similar challenges, Melissa offers words of encouragement:
“You can’t change the cards you’re dealt, but you can decide how you play them. No matter how overwhelming it feels, you’ll find strength in yourself and in the people caring for your child.”
For more information about the Heart Center at CHRISTUS Children’s, please visit CHRISTUS Children's Heart Center - San Antonio To learn more about the NICU, please visit CHRISTUS Children's Level 4 NICU - San Antonio.
