Samantha Scalzo runs Brush Creek Farm near Carthage, Tennessee, and, for the first time this year, is a vendor at VUMC’s weekly Farmers’ Market.
But her connection to the market goes beyond selling her produce, flowers and eggs. She is also eager to share the story of her 1-year-old daughter, Jocelyn — because if weren’t for Jocelyn, Samantha wouldn’t know about the market at all.
Samantha and her husband Steven learned about the market last year while Jocelyn, the youngest of her five children, was a patient at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, being treated for a congenital heart defect.
One day when Jocelyn was in the hospital, Samantha went looking for something to eat and came across the market, which is on the VUH Plaza every Thursday afternoon from June through October.
Jocelyn’s remarkable outcome and the family’s positive experience at Vanderbilt led to their interest in securing a vendor post at VUMC’s market.
Born with a fragile heart
Jocelyn Scalzo was born on Aug. 3, 2023, and three hours later was on her way to Monroe Carell.
“Shortly after she was born, the nurse came in to check on her, and she had blue feet. Things went into high gear from there,” Samantha said.
Soon after baby Jocelyn’s arrival at Monroe Carell, the Scalzos learned their newborn had transposition of the great arteries (TGA) with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and pulmonary stenosis.
“It was a lot to hear,” Samantha said.
The conditions are typically detected prior to birth. TGA is a congenital heart defect where the two major arteries that carry blood away from the heart, aorta and pulmonary artery, are switched. It affects 1 out of every 3,400 live births in the United States. VSD is a hole in the wall that separates the two lower chambers of the heart. It is the most common type of congenital heart defect. Pulmonary stenosis is a heart valve disorder where the opening is too narrow causing a reduced flow of blood to the lungs.
Jocelyn stayed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for three weeks before being released home.
“We are thankful that she was able to wait a few months to get bigger and grow stronger before having surgery to repair her heart,” Samantha said.
Last fall, Jocelyn required an admission for low oxygen levels. It was then that the family learned that the need for surgery was fast approaching.
One day Samantha decided to stretch her legs and search for additional food options. She found the VUMC Farmers’ Market and began making weekly visits during the 21-day stay.
“Eating hospital food or getting takeout every day can be hard. We would go down each week, walk around and purchase food. It was nice.”
A little later, on Dec. 11, Jocelyn underwent a Nikaidoh procedure to repair the complex transposition and pulmonary stenosis, while also having the pulmonary valve repaired. She was discharged eight days later.
“We could not have been more pleased with her care,” Samantha said. “We are so amazed by the outcome. She is a true blessing. They were able to fix everything that day.
“She is doing great. She is walking and talking and developing like a normal 1-year-old. Her heart recovery has been astonishing. We couldn’t be happier with everything.”
A helper at the market booth
It’s something Samantha shares with customers when they ask about Jocelyn, who is always with her at the market.
“Since she is always with us, people will comment, and if appropriate I will share her story. It’s also nice when there is a cardiology link, and we can talk about our experience.
Angela Weingarten, MD, MSCI, assistant professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Monroe Carell, is Jocelyn’s cardiologist.
“She has done amazingly well,” Weingarten said. “Her case was a bit more challenging because the pulmonary valve was abnormal, but she had a beautiful repair, and her heart is doing great.
“She will need to be followed by a cardiologist for the rest of her life, but I suspect she will do very well and be able to play sports, have children and live a normal life.”
The Scalzo booth offers seasonal pesticide and herbicide free produce from their farm, sourdough bread, honey, pasture-raised eggs, flowers, herbs, canned items and lettuces, a Brush Creek Farm specialty.
The other Scalzo children accompany their mom to sell their own wares — chocolate chip cookies, brownies, essential oil sugar scrubs and Joy Jars that are filled with scrolls of verses to bring joy.
Samantha said it is especially meaningful when people who took care of Jocelyn when she was in the hospital stop by the booth.
“I love seeing our nurses from the NICU,” she said. “It’s nice to make that connection with them especially outside of the medical space.”
