Now, for the moment you all have been waiting for—our Share Your Heart® essay and poetry contest winners are in. Again, this year, we want to thank EVERY person who submitted a poem or essay. It takes courage to share, and it means so much.
Please remember that this contest was designed to allow children and adults to share their stories. There can be much healing in sharing our stories, even just writing them down. Also, these stories let people living with heart disease or congenital heart disease know they are not alone—there are others who have similar feelings and who have had similar experiences. Whether you are in the winners or not, your story or poem might be exactly what someone needs to read right now.
Winner: Child, Grade 6-8
A. Lobien
Heart Sister
Eight years ago, my family learned about Congenital Heart Defects. We found out that my baby sister would be born with one and require lots of extra care. I was only three when she was born, and I couldn’t understand at the time exactly what that would mean for us as a family.
When my little sister, Audrey, came into my life, it was hard! She was so tiny, and I was so happy she was finally here. Over the next few weeks, she would have her first surgery and a hard recovery. I went through a lot of feelings during this time. Mom and Dad spent all their time at the hospital with her and I only got to see them for a few hours each day.
My grandparents alternated to help care for me and I spent most of my time with them for six months. I felt abandoned by mom and dad because I was spending so much time with my grandparents. When mom and dad finally came home with Audrey, I was excited, but dad went back to work and mom still spent more time caring for the baby than me. I felt like Audrey got all the attention and I hated her.
It didn’t stay that way though. Now Audrey is my best friend, and I will do anything for her. Audrey has had 6 heart procedures. Every time she goes to the hospital, I feel nervous and scared for her because you never know what might happen. She is the bravest and strongest person I know. She is my hero.
Leave a Reply