Many of you may know Brian Littrell as a member of the highly successful musical group, Backstreet Boys. However, before the lights, cameras, and platinum records, Brian Littrell was a child who suffered from heart-related illnesses.
Brian was born with a ventricular septal defect, a small hole between the left and right ventricles of the heart. Although Brian was active like any other child his age, his congenital heart defect made him more susceptible to infections. At five years old, one small cut would almost cost him his life.
In 1980, Brian was admitted to Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. His small cut, the byproduct of a big-wheel accident, had become infected and soon traveled to his heart, resulting in a life-threatening condition known as bacterial endocarditis. Brian would spend the summer at Saint Joseph Hospital where physicians gave him no chance of recovery. However, Brian miraculously beat the odds and by summer’s end returned home a happy, healthy child.
It wasn’t until 18 years and many concerts later that Brian’s heart defect would once again play a pivotal role in his life. Due to his congenital heart problem and the stress placed on his heart by the rigors of performing with the Backstreet Boys, Brian’s heart muscle had grown dangerously large. His physicians, worried by his heart’s growth, suggested open-heart surgery to repair the hole in his heart. This time it would be the caring and giving qualities of Brian’s heart, not its defects, which would change the lives of countless children forever.
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BACKSTREET BOYS NEVER GONE
BACKSTREET BOYS NEVER GONE