Born Brave ~ Duce’s Story
Brandon Isaac Whitaker II
Written by Da’ Quisha
On December 31st, 2016, Brandon Isaac Whitaker II, affectionately known as “Duce” was born. It was a very private and joyous time for us to love on him and thank God for his arrival. 14 short hours later, after meeting with the hospital pediatrician and informing them of a mild pre-diagnosed heart condition-ventricle septic defect- our son had, we discovered that Duce had a congenital heart defect called Transposition of the Great Arteries. He was rushed to Children’s Hospital on January 1st, and on January 3rd Duce underwent open-heart surgery to do an arterial switch of his aorta and pulmonary artery and close multiple ventricular septal defects (we only knew of one that he had). Our eight days in the hospital’s NICU, PICU, and Intermediate Care consisted of our little guy overcoming many obstacles before we could even imagine taking him home, as we were even given a “realistic” timeframe of 2-3 weeks.
BUT GOD…Through prayer, fasting, and supplication – ultimately His grace- our little Duce began to knock down hurdles day by day, breathing on his own without the assistance of oxygen, going from his heart beating on a pacemaker to his heart beating on its own at double the rate it was with the pacemaker as backup, getting off of liquids and pain medication, breast and bottle feeding like a champ, and only taking Tylenol as needed. God showed up and showed off miraculously, leaving doctors and nurses speechless, but for us, as his parents, grateful! We knew it was nothing but the grace of God that healed our little boy
There was definitely a time of fear, confusion, pain, and hurt, but there were more times of prayer, thanksgiving, trusting in God’s will, and giving our child over to the Father. Duce was His before he was ever ours, and God’s will was all we ever wanted for him. God is Jehovah Rapha, our healer! Great and Mighty is our God! We believe that Duce’s condition was not a result of anything we had control of; but rather God orchestrated this event so that He may have a platform for the display of His gracious power in healing him (John 9:1-3). We believe all this is part of God’s sovereign plan (Psalm 139:13-16).
Today, Duce is a funny, smart, athletic, and compassionate child with a big personality and an even bigger heart. He loves math, playing chess and video games, writing sermons and preaching them to his family, and staying active through basketball, baseball, and soccer. One of his proudest accomplishments has been becoming a children’s book author alongside his mom. Together, they have written the four-book series The Scary Dinosaur and the Stinky Skunk, which teaches children important lessons about friendship and social-emotional development.
Most recently, Duce joined his parents in writing and publishing his own heart story, Born Brave: A Kid’s Story of CHD, Faith, and Fearless Living. Through his story, Duce hopes to encourage other children living with congenital heart disease to do the things that make them happy, pursue what brings them joy, and know that CHD does not have to define what they can accomplish. He also hopes Born Brave helps other children, teachers, families, and communities better understand CHD, how it can affect children, and the importance of creating spaces where heart kids and their families can find support, resources, and community.
Duce’s story began with a heart that needed a little extra help. Today, that same heart is helping him inspire others. We are so blessed by Duce, and so thankful to the Lord for healing him and using him as a vessel to show the world His glory!
Grace and Blessings
