Opening Up Their Hearts and Home to Tedi
Perhaps you’ve caught a glimpse of a cute little boy with big brown eyes lately at Lenbrook. He’s Tedi Shpetishvili from the Republic of Georgia.
John and Lea Nixon, residents in the Brookhaven Building, have graciously been hosting Tedi and his mother Eka while Tedi receives specialized medical care for DiGeorge Syndrome, an usual condition that involves heart defects, tooth disease and sometimes facial deformities.
The Nixons and Shpetishvilis became friends purely by chance back in 2006. The Nixon’s “corralled” Vano, Tedi’s dad, who was a guest at a meeting of the International Club of Atlanta. “We had a trip coming up to the Republic of Georgia. Vano invited us to come meet his family and we did.” The families have been close ever since.
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When Eka gave birth to Tedi a year later, the Nixons were thrilled. But Vano called to say Tedi had to undergo heart surgery just 24 hours after birth, and was diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome. It was rare and unfamiliar to Tedi’s doctors in the Republic. |
Not one to sit on the sidelines of life, Lea began studying DiGeorge Syndrome immediately. So she was ready to jump into action a year later when Vano frantically called to say Tedi had undergone a second heart surgery that was unsuccessful, and his doctors gave Teddy only five or six months to live.
Lea started contacting cardiac pediatricians around Atlanta. It took numerous calls, discussions, and sharing of medical charts, but she finally arranged for Tedi, Vano and Eka to come to Atlanta and be treated by the cardiac surgeons at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The family would stay at the Nixons during Tedi’s surgery and recovery, which went extremely well.
“It was just something I had to do,” she said. “When you see a child in trouble, you do something,” she explained. “And, once I got started, John gave me his full support,” she said. “You should see John. He’s “papa” (grandpa in Georgian) to Tedi and they love to play together.”
This past fall when Vano called to report Tedi’s doctors were recommending immediate heart valve replacement surgery which has only a 25 percent survivability rate in the Republic, Lea took charge once more. She made all the arrangements and doctors’ appointments to have Tedi and Eka come to Atlanta for a second opinion and possible heart surgery, and to stay with the Nixons during medical treatment. Fortunately, the Atlanta doctors determined heart surgery wasn’t necessary yet, but they did have to perform dental surgery on Tedi to remove 15 diseased baby teeth.
The Shpetishvilis feel blessed to have the Nixons as their extended family. But it’s John and Lea who feel most blessed. “John and I are very fortunate to be a part of their lives. This is a special opportunity. We love this family and we love Tedi,” she said.