Faith, Family And A Father’s Love
6/16/2019 8:00:00 AM | Football
DENTON - In March of 2010, Seth Littrell was in the middle of spring football practice at the University of Arizona. He was 31 years old and had been named co-offensive coordinator after joining the Wildcat staff just 13 months prior. He and his wife Becca had been married for almost three years and they were expecting their first child, a boy.
Littrell's career was rapidly ascending and his personal life was everything he had ever dreamed of.
"I was so excited when I found out that we were having a boy," Seth remembered. "I have a great relationship with my father and I had all these things in my mind of what it was going to be like to have a son of my own."
Two weeks before their son Tripp was to be delivered, a routine ultrasound was performed.
"You could tell something was bothering the nurse doing the procedure," Seth said. "We asked if there was something wrong and she just said we would have to see the doctor as soon as possible."
The doctor told the Littrells that their son had transposition of the great arteries, a congenital heart defect in which the two arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs and the body are reversed. They were immediately referred to a cardiologist.
"It was hard," Seth said. "It's a helpless feeling. Immediately fear grips you and you don't really know how to react. It was hard to process what we were being told. How common was this? What are the odds that something bad happens during delivery? How will this affect him for the rest of his life? We had so many questions."
April 15, Tripp was born but he wasn't breathing. Doctors had to immediately intubate him, placing breathing tubes into his airway. He was whisked away to the neonatal intensive care unit where he could be closely monitored.
A little more than 24 hours later, Seth and Becca were awakened by nurses to tell them Tripp suffered a stroke. Just two days into his life, Tripp was being treated by NICU doctors, cardiologists and neurologists.
"We prayed a lot," Seth said. "It was definitely challenging, but we felt a calming peace about us that God was going to take care of everything. We also had the tremendous support of our family and friends. It would have been a lot tougher without them."
"It taught us to never take anything for granted and there is true power in prayer," Becca added. "It has changed our whole perspective on life. You have to have unwavering faith because it is out of our control."
Three weeks after his birth, Tripp endured open-heart surgery to repair his arteries. It was supposed to be an eight-hour procedure but lasted close to 12. Doctors were forced to leave his chest open due to swelling, and they told Seth and Becca to get everyone together and pray because the next 24 hours would be the most crucial.
"There was definitely a fear of knowing that you are not in control," Seth said. "We would be in the NICU or PICU and our son had just had a stroke or had just come out of open heart surgery and there were children around him that were dying. We were watching other families as they lost a child, and all we could do was pray that our son wasn't next."
But the surgery was successful, and eventually Tripp was released to go home. However, the stress for Seth and Becca was just beginning. Tripp was on a feeding tube and the new parents were forced to give him 10 different medicines, 10 times a day.
"That was probably the most challenging time for us," Seth said. "We were having to make sure the tube is in correctly and trying to make sure each medicine is right without the help of a nurse. That was stressful."
Despite the challenges and nerve-wracking days, the Littrells' faith never wavered.
"There was never a question of, 'Why us?'" Seth said. "We believed that we were chosen for this battle for reasons we may not have understood at the time. God never puts more on you than you can handle."
Today, Tripp is an active, intelligent, inquisitive 9-year old boy. He loves to read, and loves to build things. He plays baseball and golf. He spent this week at a football camp that bears his father's name. The scar running down his chest has gone from being a slight embarrassment to a sense of pride. His checkups to the cardiologist have gone from monthly to annually.
His future is limitless.
"Becca and I have always prayed that his medical situation would never restrict him in any way," Seth said. "We've been blessed because there has never been one time where he hasn't been able to do something that he wanted to do. We just want him to find his passion and we will support it."
"Tripp is special," Seth said. "He has a special story and God has special plans for him."
The 9-year journey with Tripp has magnified a sense family for Seth and Becca and brought a new outlook on what it means to be a parent. They have learned to appreciate every moment they have, and be grateful for the things they have been given.
"I would tell any expecting parents to not get caught up in what they think their sons or daughters are going to be," Seth said. "It should be more about making sure that you instill the right values, teaching them to be good people and then support them in doing what they love and enjoy."
"This experience has showed us that nothing is impossible with God, and miracles are real," Becca said. "Because of what Tripp went through, Seth and I grew closer to God, which led us to be closer as a family. We are forever grateful for Tripp and I have no doubt he will use his story for God's glory."
For the first 31 years of his life, Seth celebrated Father's Day by showing appreciation to his father Jimmy, who, like him, was a standout football player at the University of Oklahoma. In the last nine years, he is taking the opportunity to pay it forward.
"My dad taught me the importance of faith and family and that is something that I will make sure to pass along to my kids," Seth said. "Father's Day is a day that I will always show appreciation to the man that raised me the right way and gave me perspective. I try every day to do the same for my kids. Wins and losses come and go, relationships with people you love are what is important. When it is all said and done, it's about how you impacted other people and what relationships you have."
To Seth, every day is Father's Day.
"If I can only do one thing as a father, I want to give Tripp and Elle a foundation of faith, love and respect," Seth said. "But, more than anything, I want my children to know that I love them."
