At exactly 4 weeks old, Martin went into heart failure. At the IWK (Isaac Walton Killam) hospital for children in Halifax, Nova Scotia, they discovered he had a coarctation of the aorta. After twelve days in hospital, they stabilized him with medication and we returned to our home in Moncton, New Brunswick.
The doctors wanted to wait until he was an adult before doing surgery, but at 71/2 months old, surgery was could not be avoided. Once again, we headed to Halifax. It was heartbreaking to see our tiny baby undergoing open-heart surgery. We are lucky that he survived. He’s a fighter. He wants to live. The doctors told us that usually, this condition is corrected with ONE surgery only.
His health problems did not stunt his growth. He was a healthy youngster who loved to be outside. Hockey was his passion. He played street hockey every day with neighbourhood friends. Our little boy was hyperactive. The ADHD diagnosis came later in his life.
At 13 years old, he needed surgery again. This time around, the doctors told him he could not play competitive hockey. “If you get checked into the boards, you could die on the spot” they told him. This was the most devastating news to date for him. He dreamed of becoming a professional hockey player (as was my husband’s cousin Ray Bourque). He had no choice but to accept it, but it took a long time. Eventually, he turned to his second passion, music!
He became a good guitarist and played in various groups. At one point, he became “Marty” of the Big Bad Marty Band here in Moncton. They enjoyed eight years of good-paying gigs. They were a party band.
In his 20s, Martin underwent his 4th open-heart surgery. It was a hard one to face because his fiancé had just left him. His Dad and myself were there to support him. He had a lot of post-op pain. The nurse explained that it’s the most difficult for young adults because, as a child or an older person, the bones are more flexible, softer. As a young man, the bones are strong and sturdy, causing more pain when they are “sawed open”.
In his late twenties, Martin started a company with his friend, Denis, as an artist promoter. With no experience or education in the field, they built a successful enterprise that lasted fifteen years, bringing well-known artists and groups to Moncton.
In 2015, his Dad suffered a huge cardiac arrest that lasted 40 minutes and 7 shocks! He miraculously recovered with a 90% of his health. He then had a few good years with us, but then other health issues appeared and he passed away in 2021.
Added to other stresses in his life (separation from his wife, his daughter’s anorexia and more)Martin learned, in late 2022, that he had an aneurism in his aorta. Once again we headed to Halifax. The surgeon decided to approach with a less invasive procedure to reinforce his aorta. This did not take well and in 2024, he was scheduled for another open-heart surgery, which he underwent in May. There were some complications with his kidneys and heart during surgery. He stayed in the ICU for 8 days instead of the intended 2 days. He had periods of being “lost” (delusional). He eventually stabilized and we came back home to Dieppe, New Brunswick. His recovery was long and difficult. He still has pain in his ribs and was left with tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
After all these health issues and struggles, we both were in the mindset of “do it while you can”. We love the idea of traveling and that’s what we’re setting out to do! We welcome you to follow our journey by clicking any of the links at the top of this page.