Blue baby made history

Star manager Cliff Hunt went to Taupo to track down Taranaki's Bruce Pike, one of the first "blue babies" operated on 50 years ago by the famous heart surgeon, Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes. Kapuni 6-year-old Bruce Pike became part of heart surgery history 50 years ago. He underwent a hole-in-the-heart operation performed by one New Zealand's leading cardiac surgeons in June 1963. Bruce's parents, Bob and Iris Pike, who farmed on Palmer Rd, said at the time that without the operation their son could not have outlived his teens. They felt there was no option but to consent to the operation and, for the first time in six years, they were able to look to their son's future with confidence. Bruce's surgeon, Mr Brian Barratt-Boyes - he was knighted in 1971 - toiled for four hours over the tiny body in the brilliantly lit Auckland Hospital theatre. Before the operation, he was quoted as saying: "Complications could still arise but I am hopeful the lad will show marked improvement within the next week." Thirty blood donors were standing by. Bruce was born a "blue baby" and within 18 months he had already undergone a major operation. In an effort to ensure an adequate supply of blood to Bruce's lungs, the surgeon joined an artery from the boy's arm to his lung blood supply. "This practice was considered adequate until Bruce was old enough to undergo a further major operation," Sir Brian was quoted as saying. "Then we found, through extensive tests, that Bruce also had a narrowing in the heart muscle leading out to the lung. "Consequently the operation became more essential. Bruce was seriously affected when it was performed on Wednesday. He had a hole between the pumping chambers of his heart, besides the other complications. "As in all cases a heart-lung machine was used for the surgery, but once the hole was sealed excess muscle and fibrous tissue had to be ‘chipped' from the outlet muscle." Sir Brian also told of a little-known procedure which was adopted with Bruce before his operation. He said dozens of pictures had been taken of the boy's heart, primarily through the use of a catheter. This, he explained, was a thin tube which had been inserted into an artery in Bruce's arm and pushed through to his heart. Oxygen tent By Friday Bruce was still in an oxygen tent. Slow progress caused his surgeon to maintain the treatment right up to the following day. He possessed his faculties, however, and could recognise his parents when they called. Ad Feedback "Never had he been able to join in games with his playmates at the Kapuni School. The slightest physical exercise would leave him gasping for breath," said Iris, who also now lives in Taupo. Her husband died some years ago. The announcement of the success of the surgery almost overwhelmed Bruce's mother and father as well his sisters Gail and Karen. For the first time in his life Bruce was a normal colour. "He lay there . . . looking at me . . . and smiled. His skin was pink, his fingernails were pink and for the first time I knew he was really a normal son," Iris said. Six weeks later Bruce was back home from Auckland bringing with him as a treasured souvenir - a small bottle containing the remains of the stitches inserted in his body at the end of the operation. "A nurse told Bruce he had enough cotton to knit himself a jersey. Bruce would be able to walk to school within a few weeks whereas before he would have been gasping for breath within 100 yards. Ten cousins called over the weekend to welcome him home including the Dixons of Kaponga (Helen, Brian, Carol, Trevor and Judith); and the Pikes from Hawera (Gloria, Lorraine and Christine). Now 50 years later, Bruce, a very fit 56-year-old, lives in Taupo with his wife Sandra and three adult sons Robert, Gavin and Denis. Retiring "Taupo has been my home for the last 34 years, and I was looking forward to retiring at 60, but now that has changed to 65. "If I got to 40 years of age I thought I was doing all right and anything after that was a bonus," Bruce said last week. A mechanic, Bruce works for the Stihl dealer in Taupo fixing up chainsaws and lawnmowers. As a 19-year-old Bruce had an accident on his motorbike badly injuring his arm and leg. It nearly scuttled his surgeon's hard work but lady luck has always been on Bruce's side. These days Bruce has done away with motorbikes and is restoring a 1970 Datsun Coupe as well as keeping his home and grounds up-to-date. "I've had no side-effects after the operation, although I did get a bit tired right up to my late teens," Bruce said. "When all the other kids at school were playing rugby and cricket on the weekends, I would be at home with my electric train and model aeroplanes." Bruce is still keen on his model aeroplanes but these days they are remote controlled. He is a keen member of a Taupo model aeroplane club. Sir Brian died aged 82 in 2006. - © Fairfax NZ News CLIFF HUNT- SOUTH TARANAKI STAR Last updated 14:50 13/06/2013