This is a picture of a survivor and someone who loves him very much!
According to the CDC, "Heart defects affect nearly 1% of--or about 40,000--births per year in the United States."
My son, James, is one exemple. Although we didn't know that he had a congenital heart defect until he was 11 years old, we were told at that time that he would eventually have to have his aortic valve replaced but that it would probably become necessary as he hit middle age.
Unfortunately, this was not the case. At 29 yo, James began to experience shortness of breath, chest discomfort, and edema. He visited his cardiologist who said that she didn't like what she was hearing. After several tests, it was determined that James's heart was enlarged, his aortic valve was stenotic, and he had developed a 5 1/2 cm aneurism in his rising aorta. Over the next couple of months, we fought with his insurance company trying to get surgery approved to remove the aneurism and repair the valve rather than replace it--to no avail. The insurance company won, and James received a new valve that, unlike the valve repair surgery, will require him to take blood thinners for the rest of his life, but he is alive and well!!! The outcome could have been very different.
His story is not unique. There are thousands of similar stories each year--some with less positive outcomes. But how can we prevent this type of scare and other possible life-ending cardiac events?
It's time to unite, take action, and save lives. Every dollar donated, means more people trained in lifesaving CPR, more research and more lifesaving moments for everyone. Together, we can turn bystanders into lifesavers.
I Walk to Save Lives. Help me exceed my goal today.
