Haven golf course to host Isaac Alvarez fundraiser

Everything seemed fine during the early stages of Brenda Alvarez’s pregnancy.

For the first five months, everything was progessing according to plan, until Alvarez visited her doctor to find out the gender of her unborn baby.

Brenda and her husband, Enrique, waited in the ultrasound room when the doctor told the couple something that would change their lives forever.

“Our baby had a blocked urethra and was unable to urinate,” Brenda said. “Therefore, his urine was being backed up into his stomach. On the screen, all we could see was a big black ball where his stomach should be.”

The baby was suffering from Prune Belly Syndrome—an afflicition that affects one in every 40,000 babies.

After countless surgeries and sleepless, worried nights, Isaac was born on May 8, 2006—five weeks earlier than expected.

While Isaac beat the odds and survived the delivery, he still faces an uphill battle to overcome this condition.

The Alvarezes recently contacted the folks at Haven Golf Course to host a tournament to raise money to attend a four-day educational seminar in Wisconsin July 19-22 to learn more about Prune Belly Syndrome.

“We can only learn so much from the Internet, books and doctors since this syndrome is so rare,” Brenda said. “Attending this seminar will help us understand what our son is going through and what he might face in the future.”

The Isaac Fundraiser is scheduled for July 7, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $75 per person, which includes lunch, the greens fee and a cart.

“Everyone at Haven has been so helpful and supportive, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for helping us with this fundraiser,” Brenda said.

Isaac’s first surgery took place shortly after over 500 cc of urine were removed from his stomach.

Another doctor informed the couple that there was a risky surgery she could perform, but one that could save Isaac’s life.

“She placed a shunt into his bladder while he was still in the womb,” Brenda said. “There was a 50 percent chance my bag would rupture and our baby would not survive.

“We had to decide whether we go through with the surgery and risk losing our baby, or do we wait and see how he continues with a greater risk of him being unable to survive on his own?”

Brenda and Enrique decided to go through with the surgery, which proved to be a successful procedure.

Once Isaac was born, he spent 44 days in intensive care. His abdominal muscles were underdeveloped and his kidneys weren’t functioning properly.

In addition, the pressure on his chest led to smaller lung capacity.

“The doctor told us Isaac probably wouldn’t survive, but we refused to believe him,” Brenda said.

Things continued to look bleak as a kidney specialist told the couple that Isaac’s kidneys were failing.

“My thoughts were, ‘How dare you tell a mother something like that in such a cold tone,’” Brenda said.

Five days after, the Alvarezes visited their urologist, who performed a life-saving vesicostomy, which brought Isaac’s bladder to the surface of his belly, relieving some of his kidney pressure and allowing Isaac to continue fighting.

A series of surgeries took place from December 2006 to February 2007, which kept Isaac’s chance for survival stable.

“Jan. 27 was the worst day,” Brenda said. “Isaac suddenly started breathing really hard and looked unable to focus. We rushed him to the hospital, and his heart stopped.

“There’s nothing scarier than watching your baby struggle like that, but with God’s help, our little man fought for his life again.”

Today, Isaac remains in stable condition, but still has a long road ahead.

Tomorrow, the Alvarezes have a car wash scheduled for 8 a.m. in the Wal-Mart parking lot before they set their sights on the July 7 golf tournament.

“Hopefully, we can spend the next few weeks bringing people together to help make Isaac’s life a little easier,” Brenda said.

For more information on Prune Belly Syndrome, please visit www.prunebelly.org.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747