#Redforbret

The news hit the family like a ton of bricks. Their seventh-grade son collapsed during wrestling practice and it was determined he had suffered a heart attack.

Sitting in the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital waiting room on Dec. 18 while open-heart surgery was being performed on their 12-year-old son, Bretten, felt more like 10 months than 10 hours for Matt and Emily Coequyt. "The last five hours felt like a long, long time," said Emily.

The initial time blocked for the surgical procedure was 51/2 hours. The original plan was to open Bretten up and stimulate his heart to put him into ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia to locate and fix the focal points and then implant a pacemaker, a loop monitor, or an internal defibrillator.

After approximately five hours, however, the surgeon came out to speak with the Coequyts. "He told us things didn't go quite as planned and that Bretten had flatlined twice," Emily explained.

"He said Bretten was too unstable and it was too dangerous to continue to move forward and try to find the focal point." The family was then informed that Bretten had Ventricular Fibrillation, which is a life-threatening heart rhythm that results in a rapid, inadequate heartbeat.

"The surgeon then asked for our consent to place an internal defibrillator," Emily said.

"Bretten was then in surgery for another five hours." Because Emily is an EMT, she said it actually made it harder to hear the news.

"It was scary because I knew exactly what (the surgeon) was telling us," she said.

Heart defect at birth

Bretten was diagnosed at birth with VSD, a congenital heart defect, although many other health issues manifested.

"After a few years of doctoring, we were sent to the University of Minnesota and it was discovered that Bretten was born with a very rare chromosomal abnormality," Emily explained.

"Bretten is missing part of his Chromosome number 10."

The syndrome Bretten has is generally associated with SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) due to cardiac arrest.

"When we started our journey, Bretten was one out of only six children in the world with this known chromosomal deletion," said Emily. "He is now 1 of 15, and the third oldest living in the world."

As Bretten prepared for seventh grade this fall, he was similar to most other boys his age, full of energy and playing sports. "I did notice him sleeping more, but assumed it was due to him growing and starting seventh grade," his mother said.

"He went in for his sports physical in August (at Marshall Avera) and they did an EKG and it came back abnormal."

Four days later, the Coequyts were at the U of M to meet with a cardiologist.It was then that doctors there ran some tests and discovered that Bretten appeared to be in heart failure and was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

Bretten then had to wear a heart monitor and after undergoing a stress test in September, doctors gave the okay for him to return to playing sports, as long as he followed up with regular visits to the cardiologist.

Bretten's sports at Minneota included football, wrestling and trap shooting.

A week before Thanksgiving, Bretten collapsed at wrestling practice. It was confirmed later by his Electro Physio Cardiologist that he had suffered the heart attack.

Home again

The Coequyts live in Minneota. Matt is a Master Plumber who owns and operates Coequyt Plumbing and Heating. Emily works for Westrock doing VMA, cost savings, lean manufacturing and VMI in their enterprise division. 

She also works with the Minneota First Responder Group, Canby Sanford Ambulance, and is an EMT/EMR/First Aid/CPR instructor for two training centers. The Coequyts have four children: Bretten, 12; Jaylyn, 10; Nolan, 7; and Daxon, 1.

Following the surgical procedure to implant an internal defibrillator, Bretten is home and returned to school after Christmas vacation. "His implant is working as it should," Emily said.

"When tested, they were able to put Bretten back in normal rhythm." Bretten will be on heart medication for the rest of his life, as well as having to make regular cardiology visits.

The device he had implanted will need to be replaced every five to seven years.

Overwhelming support

The family is dealing with Bretten's heart defect as well as they can.

"Neither of us are real great at expressing our emotions," said Emily about Matt and herself.

"I think we both stay extremely busy and that helps us cope. We have been through a lot with Bretten ever since he was very small, so we have had to get used to just taking things in stride and be there the best we can for Bretten and our other children." One thing that has helped ease their burden is the support of friends, family and the community.

"Ever since the night of Bretten's collapse, there hasn't been a time where we didn't feel support from them," Emily told.

When the 911 call came in following Bretten's collapse at wrestling practice, Emily was one of the First Responders on the scene.

"Right from that very minute of my arrival on scene, I had fellow members of the First Responders team by my side, not only taking care of Bretten, but also of me," she said. "I am so grateful to them, as well as the people who were with Bretten right away and provided care for him.” "I will never be able to express how grateful we are to Julie Fier, Steve Sussner, Matt Myrvik, Matt Buysse, Wade Gillund, Kris Fier, and many others for being there caring for Bretten, calling 911, clearing the hall, and much more."

Emily thought about all the people that have helped during and after her son's collapse and surgery and began rattling off name after name; family members who helped care for the three other Coequyt children, those who were there with them at the hospital, community members who brought food, sent cards and/or social media messages; classmates and teachers lending support, and many others.

"It has just been overwhelming," Emily said.

"Minneota people have always been there for others. Seeing the support for Bretten really has been a key to keep us going. We are truly very touched and very blessed." School shows its support, too Emily Hennen and Sara Boerboom, Bretten's home team teacher and special education instructor, respectively, helped the class come up with a t-shirt campaign to show their support. The red t-shirts are emblazoned on the front with: "Heart Warrior", "Stay Strong Bretten", and "#RedforBret".

They are available online at this address: https://borchs.tuosystems.com/stores/redforbret20. "Sports are Bretten's number one. And having that taken away from him was very hard for him," his mother noted.

"But one of the really cool things that transpired was the #redforbret. I can't express how comforting and great it feels to have seen all the #redforbret and all the people who wore red to support Bretten."

Hennen's home team at the high school also made Bretten a Minnesota Gophers blanket. "He had it the whole time he was in the hospital," said his mother. "And he still uses it daily."

Jaylyn Coequyt's basketball coaches, Jeff and Lydia Sussner, and her fifth grade basketball team, also wore red warmup t-shirts in support of Bretten.

Profound perspective

Bretten typically seems very positive about what has transpired over recent months. But he seemed concerned about his mother's struggle. "Bretten was worried that I was fighting God," Emily told.

"In a conversation I had with him, he told me he was okay going to heaven and being with his grandpas." Bretten was then told by his mother that she wasn't okay with that and that she has been fighting her entire life for him, and wasn't about to stop now.

"But Mom”, he responded. "If I go to heaven, I need you to come to heaven one day. And it you are fighting God for me, you will not go to heaven."