Sydney was born in January of this year. Like her Aunt Bri, Sydney was born with Down syndrome. Abby & Ryan knew very early in the pregnancy that she was blessed with an extra chromosome. They found out soon after that Sydney also had a heart condition. Without medical intervention, our sweet girl would not survive.
For months, Ryan and Abby split their time between the hospital & home. Syd spent most of the first five months of her life at Devos Childrens Hospital in Grand Rapids. By the grace of God and her incredibly talented medical team, Sydney had successful heart surgery in June.
Syd is one of thousands diagnosed each year with a congenital heart issue. In fact, it's the most common birth defect, affecting 1 in 110 births. With research and increased medical invervention, mortality rates have plummeted. But more work needs to be done! Every child deserves the chance to, not just survive, but thrive!
I implore you to help support our fundraising efforts. Every dollar, every PENNY, helps support essential life-saving research. Thank you for your generosity, and for standing beside us (and Sydney) in this mission.
