Category: Mended Little Hearts Blog
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Our Lives Are Changing Now | Share Your Heart Essay Contest Winner | Age Group: Adult 18+
By Mazen Hassan Our Lives Are Changing Now Our lives are changing now Was my first feeling Lump in my throat The rest had me reeling Our lives are changing now The call came around three Never expected that tone “Love, can you talk, it’s me…” Our lives are changing now “Tubes are in the…
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Battle Scars
By Mark Buttell Living with scars has not always been the most ego-boosting part of my life. When you’re young, it’s fun to show your battle scars, and of course, most older folks were amazed that a 5-year-old was showing them scars from open-heart surgery. Back in the 1970s, it wasn’t very common, and looking…
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Sometimes Strength Comes In Knowing You Are Not Alone
By Lauren Backe “Where did the idea for the heart warrior photoshoot come from?” is a question I’ve gotten asked a lot recently. And that’s a long answer, partially because I’m not the most concise person. And it’s partially because there were lots of little things that made it all come together, including: 1)…
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Roll With the Punches: When Eating is Too Difficult
Carli Valentine resides in Utah with her two wonderful children, Lochlan (1 yr) and Finnegan (6 yrs) and husband of 14 years. She is employed as a Cosmetologist and has her Master Esthetics License as well as a degree in Business Administration. In her spare time she loves to do volunteer work, help fundraise, and be…
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Gateway into Living with CHD
By Meghana Dwarakinath I have always assumed that my life would figure itself out — that all the problems would fade out of existence merely by me being ignorant of the events happening. I had relatives who suffered from various medical issues, primarily cardiac, but as a mere teenager, I never really thought that I…
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Engaging and Educational Activities for Kids at Home
This article is a great example of the many informative resources you can find on the Mended Hearts website. Whether it’s summer break, a rainy weekend, or a global pandemic, kids are bound to get bored and restless when they’re stuck inside for too long. Keeping kids active and engaged at home is a common…
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Buckle Up for Flu Season!
Flu season is well underway, and every flu season brings out two types of people. For one type, the flu shot is a necessity; it is a responsibility; it is an obligation. For the other type, the flu shot is painful; it is insignificant; it is an inconvenience. Ultimately, this is an unfortunate dichotomy. Opposing…
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Online Pharmacies Provide Savings on Prescriptions — as Long as You Can Spot the Fakes
If you take prescription medications, you know that the cost of getting prescriptions filled has gone up in the past few years. At some point, you may have even had to choose between buying the medication you need and paying for other necessities. If you’ve heard about the savings offered by online pharmacies, you might…
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Filling in the Missing Pieces of Your Mended Heart
By Todd Matthews With Kathryn Kopp My name is Todd Matthews, and I am a 50-year-old survivor of coarctation of the aorta. I’m not sure how I want to share my own rugged scar. A tattoo? An outline on my t-shirt? Maybe I can start by just sharing my story with you… By the…
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So Long as They’re Healthy
So Long as He’s Healthy “So long as he’s healthy,” she said. Inwardly, I cringe And my heart weeps a little. I ask myself, “But what if he’s not?” Will you not love him? Will you be unable to find happiness? Will you wish you didn’t have him? What do you mean by, “So…