Our daughter Alice was born in July 2013, healthy and beautiful. But just five days later, she turned blue around her lips and nose, and we rushed her to Cincinnati Children’s.

There, we learned she had multiple critical heart defects that made it impossible for her to breathe on her own. Alice spent six weeks in the hospital and underwent two heart surgeries before she was three months old.

Her start was tough—feeding tubes, medications, constant monitoring—but her outcome has been extraordinary. Today, Alice is an energetic 12‑year‑old who plays volleyball and basketball, cheers, and even won the city dive championship (5 years in a row!). Her heart now functions just like any other child’s. She is a joyful, fearless survivor.

If Alice had been born in 2025, she never would have gone home undiagnosed. Thanks to research funded by the American Heart Association, a simple test now detects defects like hers before a crisis happens.

The AHA makes stories like Alice’s possible. Please consider joining our team or making a donation. Thank you for helping protect children like Alice.