LEFT TO RIGHT : Zana , Tui , Rita , Chuck and Mimi Mitsui .
Dr . Bratincsak said . “ Then trying to reattach veins to the appropriate position while the heart is stopped and the patient is on a heart-lung machine . It ‘ s a very big deal .“
The procedure was so intricate , it had to be done at Rady ‘ s Children ‘ s Hospital in California . Timing was crucial . The sooner the Mitsuis ‘ son left , the better chance he had of surviving . Chuck immediately contacted their insurance company and learned the process to clear the finances to pay for emergency transportation would take at least a day . The new parents couldn ‘ t wait . They decided to pay the air ambulance fee and deal with the insurance coverage later .
Tui left that day with members of Kapi ‘ olani ‘ s Critical Care Transport
team . When the air ambulance was halfway to its destination , Chuck and Zana boarded their commercial flight . “ They were closing the door of the plane and literally telling us to turn off our phones when we got the call ,“ Zana said . “ They called to let us know Tui arrived safely and was stable ,“ Chuck said . “ We gave our verbal consent to take him into surgery .“ As soon as they landed , they called to check on their son and were relieved to hear everything went well . Three weeks later , all three of them returned home to Hawai ‘ i .
These days , Tui is enjoying life as a big brother to sisters Rita and Mimi . His progress has only been positive at check-ups every six months with Dr . Bratincsak . The only reminder he has of those early struggles eight years ago are the scars on his chest left behind by the tubes that kept him alive those first few weeks of his life .
For Chuck and Zana , the emotional experience stays with them , especially when they speak with other local families dealing with similar situations . “ We met a family that said they had to wait for a plane ,“ Zana said . “ When they arrived at the hospital the next day , the baby was in terrible condition . It took another week to get him stable .“
The more the Mitsuis got to know Dr . Bratincsak , the more they wanted to help Kapi ‘ olani . “ He saved my son ‘ s life ,“ Chuck said . “ And you know when you find somebody rare like that , it ‘ s easy to trust them because they are so knowledgeable and they have the drive and the passion .“
In a few years , their relationship turned into a partnership through philanthropy .
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