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The newborn whose family says nearly died after a botched circumcision at a Manhattan hospital is now facing an even more dire situation — heart failure that may require a transplant, his father told Greater Long Island.
Cole Jordan Groth, born March 31 with complex congenital heart disease, was originally scheduled to go home April 16 after a successful initial heart procedure.
Instead, the Lake Grove baby remains in the NICU at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where complications from a circumcision performed April 14 have led to a cascade of life-threatening medical problems, his father said.
In his latest update, Cole’s dad, Tim, described the exhausting journey his family has endured, revealing that Cole has now developed heart failure despite blood pressure medications.
“Since over a week ago Cole is experiencing heart failure and even with blood pressure medication his blood pressure is much higher than it should be,” Groth said. “The medical staff continues to try and treat him as things arise and we are holding out hope that his heart recovers, but we are led to believe that the most likely scenario at this point is a heart transplant.”
The devastating development represents another setback for the infant, who was born with congenital heart disease but had been recovering well before the circumcision complications.
Tim Groth, CEO of a local pain management practice, previously told Greater Long Island that severe bleeding following the procedure went unaddressed for about seven critical hours, resulting in Cole losing nearly half his blood volume.
The hospital, citing patient privacy concerns, has declined to comment on Cole’s condition.
A cascade of complications
The initial circumcision complications led to multiple surgeries to remove dead sections of Cole’s intestines, with doctors eventually placing an ostomy bag and closing his abdomen after the damage proved too extensive to repair immediately, Tim Groth said.
The baby has been unable to eat normally and receives nutrition through an IV, with plans for additional surgeries to reconnect his intestines.
“Never in our wildest dreams,” Tim Groth said, regarding the likelihood that his baby boy will need a heart transplant — even after learning about his congenital heart condition when his wife was 20 weeks pregnant.
“Luckily for us, we have unbelievable friends and family who have rallied ever closer to withstand the war that we are fighting,” said Groth, whose dad is a pain management doctor on Long Island.
Community support continues
The family’s ordeal has captured national attention and generated significant community support. A GoFundMe campaign titled “Support Cole Jordan Groth’s Fight for Life” has raised more than $67,000 through nearly 800 donations. Groth has emphasized that raising awareness about patient care is the campaign’s primary purpose.
The situation has taken a devastating toll on the entire family. Groth’s wife Gabrielle has struggled emotionally while caring for their 2-year-old son Bryce, and the trauma has affected her ability to breastfeed, her husband has said.
As the family waits to learn Cole’s definitive treatment path, Groth noted his son’s strength.
“I guess this is life’s way of teaching us that we are stronger than we ever thought we were and that Cole is a remarkably strong warrior,” he said.
