Tag: CHD
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Congenital Heart Defect (CHD): Josie’s story
“There’s something wrong with your baby’s heart.” Like you, those words are forever etched into my soul…. Hi there, I’m Josie, and I’m a heart mom. At the 20-week ultrasound for my third daughter, Maya, we received life-changing news – not only did she have a congenital heart defect, but she also has Down Syndrome.…
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CHD and COVID-19 | Share Your Heart Essay Contest Winner | Age Group: Child Grades 6–8
By Grace Hollenbach CHD and COVID-19 To say that my brother’s congenital heart defect has affected my life would be an understatement, in my opinion. I think an more accurate answer would be that it has turned my world upside down. Samuel was basically born with half a heart, to keep it simple. He was…
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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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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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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…
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Reflections of a Heart Family
Sometimes six years in the CHD world does not seem like an awfully long time, and sometimes it feels like we have been here forever. When I think back on the early days of my daughter’s diagnosis and birth, I am amazed at the obstacles we have overcome. We would learn something was amiss during…
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Bonus Days
David is a Vice President of a International Manufacturing company and began writing just a few years ago ( At age 50, It’s therapeutic for him & was part of his bucket list) He’s been married to his wife Angela (for 28 years). They live near Dayton OH and have one daughter Marissa (a school…
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Like Mother, Like Daughter
By Amy Suson “You’ll likely never have children.” I had heard those words repeatedly growing up. Being born with severe tricuspid valve stenosis, transposition of the great arteries, hypoplastic right ventricle, VSD, and left ventricular systolic dysfunction, I really was not too surprised. I knew I was blessed enough to have had only two heart…
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Thank You, Mr. Bach
By MaryAnn Zima Our son, John, was born 10 days late in the spring of 1990, healthy and robust but with a very worried expression on his face. Doctors said everything was fine, and he was two days old when we went home to our family. Shortly after we settled in, he began having problems…