Why We Walk…
Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) effects 1 in 100 children. It affects 2 of ours.
20 years ago we were getting our education on CHD the hard way. We were frantically researching, seeking second opinions, and praying like crazy. We learned the baby boy we would soon be welcoming had a complex heart condition. His somewhat unknown prognosis was scary, and when we headed home from the NICU we were told to expect surgery within the first year to 18 months. Praise God, nearly 20 years later he is still surgery free and thriving! I hope and pray his heart will keep doing its job until a ripe old age. But I also raise funds for the American Heart Association (AHA), knowing that the research funded could make a big difference for our son. So, when Brayden was born, we started walking.
10 years later we found ourselves back in that same NICU. Our baby girl was born with a host of medical complexities, among them, a congenital heart defect - totally unrelated to Brayden’s. The odds weren’t high that we would have another child with CHD. And yet we did. Gianna endured a heart catheterization at 2 months old and open heart surgery at 1 year. While this surgery was successful at relieving her pulmonary stenosis, it required the removal of her pulmonary valve, which is expected to need replaced in the future. Thanks to medical research and advances we’ve seen in recent years, it is likely that this valve replacement can be done in a minimally invasive procedure in the cath lab! It blows my mind that this is possible and I am so grateful, as I am all for avoiding another open heart surgery for our girl. So, when Gianna was born, we kept walking.
And today, we ask you to join us! Step out and have some fun to celebrate Brayden and Gianna! Step out to support them and all those who stand to benefit from the life-saving research funded by the American Heart Association. Thanks for your support. Together, we walk on.
