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Every 15 minutes in the United States, a baby is born with a congenital heart defect, making CHDs the most common birth defect in our country. The Congenital Heart Walk is dedicated to making a difference. Our mission is clear - we aim to raise funds to support The Children's Heart Foundation in its quest to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CHDs by funding groundbreaking research.
Gemma was diagnosed with a hypoplastic right venticle/double inlet left ventricle in utero during her 20 week anatomy scan. Babies with DILV have an intact left ventricle (the pumping chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the body) and a small right ventricle (the pumping chamber that pumps blood to the lungs). Both atria supply blood to the left ventricle, and as a result oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-poor blood are combined. This mixture of blood flows to both the baby's lungs and body.
Gemma was born on August 18, 2019 and underwent her first intervention at 5 weeks old, a catheterization to insert a stent in an opening in her heart (PDA). In the Spring of 2020 she underwent 2 open heart surgeries at 9 and 10 months old. In July 2022 she underwent her third open heart surgery, the Fontan, and pacemaker placement 3 days later. Today Gemma is doing great despite her complex heart condition. These surgeries don't cure her CHD, but they allow her to survive with half a heart.
Dylan was diagnosed with a CHD atfter an abnormal echo at 3 months old and a CT scan confirmed he had a Vascular Ring/Double Aortic Arch. Babies with DAA typically have airway obstruction from the ring pressing on the trachea and esophagus, leading to trouble breathing and swallowing. Thanks to our cardiology team this was caught early before Dylan really had any symptoms. While his condition is much less complex than Gemma's, on August 11, 2023 Dylan underwent surgery to remove the ring. Luckily the surgeon was able to do this off the pump and via thoracotomy which led to a much quicker recovery.
The Children's Heart Foundation's mission is to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CHDs by funding the most promising research. This is extremely important to our family as we have seen firsthand how important early diagnosis and new surgical techniques are. Continued research is required to improve the outcomes for patients with CHDs as they age.
We invite you to join us in this mission. By supporting our team or even walking with us, you're contributing to research that can save and enhance the lives of infants born with CHDs, as well as children and adults living with these conditions. Your support makes a significant impact, and for that, we want to say a heartfelt thank you.
Will you join us in making a real difference? Please consider supporting our team or walking with us. Every step we take brings us closer to improving the lives of those affected by congenital heart defects.
