Wayland Board of Education member Pete Zondervan and his wife, Kristiana Kay, have had a difficult week since the birth Sept. 3 of their daughter, Kinsley

Kristiana, a third grade teacher Steeby Elementary, reported on Facebook that her daughter had to remain at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids because of a serious heart problem. She already has undergone two surgeries, the first of which was regarded as unsuccessful.

The report after the second procedure was much brighter, however.

“Kinsley is out of surgery and is stable,” he mother said Sunday, Sept. 6. “There are many roadblocks we have yet to overcome and the next days and weeks will be crucial. The second surgery was mostly successful in what they wanted to accomplish and at the moment she is resting and seems to be faring well.”

This contrasted with Kristiana’s gloomy report shortly before: “First surgery with the incision in her side was unsuccessful as the problem is even more complicated than anticipated. Dr. Haw says this is a rarity and he’s only ever seen it once. So they are going into a second surgery, this time opening up her chest to attempt this repair another way.”

Just before the first surgery, Kristiana said on Facebook, “She will be undergoing her first heart surgery tomorrow morning to increase the size of a too-narrow aortic arch. She will need to be in the hospital for at least a few weeks. They are also doing some testing for a rare genetic disorder she displays signs of and we won’t know anything about that until next week. The open heart surgery to repair her VSD will be done around 6 months of age.”

PHOTO: Wayland teacher Kristiana Kay, wife of school board member Pete Zondervan, with her daughter, Kinsley, at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.