When I was just 24 weeks pregnant, I received the hardest news she could imagine: something was seriously wrong with my baby’s heart. Dylan was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped.
When Dylan was born, he was handed directly to doctors before his parents could even hold him. Medical teams began life-saving interventions immediately in the delivery room before transferring him to the Cardiac ICU, where he would spend the first eight months of his life.
At just seven days old, Dylan underwent his first open-heart surgery. At five months old, he bravely faced his second open-heart surgery. Then, just before his fourth birthday, Dylan had his third open-heart surgery as part of the staged procedures that help children with HLHS survive and grow.
Through every surgery, hospital stay, and challenge, Dylan has shown incredible strength and resilience. Today, his story is one of survival and determination. Despite living with congenital heart disease, Dylan enjoys many of the same things as other kids his age—he has done gymnastics, currently plays soccer, goes to school, and continues to live a full and active life.
By supporting the Heart Walk and the American Heart Association, you help fund the research, treatments, and support that make stories like Dylan’s possible. Dylan is a heart warrior, and your support helps give children like him the chance to keep fighting and thriving.