Henry is our five year-old heart warrior. He has the biggest personality—you can’t help but smile when you’re around him. He’s funny, smart, sweet, and brave beyond his years. Henry approaches life full throttle, pedal to the metal. Whether he’s playing, learning, or just being himself, he gives everything his all.
Henry’s journey began even before he was born. He was diagnosed with congenital heart disease at just 20 weeks in utero, including two defects: coarctation of the aorta and double outlet right ventricle. He was monitored closely throughout the rest of the pregnancy, and at just three days old, he underwent his first open-heart surgery to repair his coarctation of the aorta. Although the surgery was initially successful, Henry faced a life-threatening complication when
he went into cardiac arrest after coming off the bypass machine. At only three days old, he was placed on ECMO life support.
After several days on ECMO, Henry was able to come off, but he still required intense, life-threatening care as his tiny body worked to recover. The next weeks in the ICU were filled with many unforeseen complications, and after 80 days, he was finally able to come home. Even then, he was closely monitored as he awaited his second major surgery.
At nine months old, Henry underwent his final repair to address his double outlet right ventricle. Despite all these challenges, Henry overcame so much in his first year of life. His strength, patience, and resilience as a baby inspired us to keep fighting for him. He showed us what it truly means to be strong and brave, and we drew our strength from his.
In the moments we were unsure if we would walk out of the hospital together as a family, I promised myself that if we did, I would never forget our journey. I vowed to dedicate myself to giving back and helping others who face the same fight.
That is why I chose to concentrate on the Children’s Heart Foundation. CHF is the country’s leading organization solely dedicated to funding congenital heart defect research. Funding research will help improve detection, prevention, and treatment for years to come.
Thank you in advance to those who contribute to help us make a difference. Together, we can help so many families affected by CHD—and as I like to remind myself, little by little, a little becomes a lot!
