National CHD Awareness Week

I am a CHD survivor.....

And I have the scars to prove it!

In honour of National CHD Awareness Week I thought I would post this little poem copied from someone's blog:

Somewhere...someplace... today...

A family is waiting to hear...

Is something wrong with their baby?

The answers aren't quite clear...

This family has entered an unwanted world...

And they just don't know what to expect...

Somewhere...someplace... today

They first heard the words: heart defect.

And how they hoped this was not true...

And thought... this cannot be...

I too... know just how this feels...

For one day...this was me.

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A man and a woman embrace...

Their baby is in surgery...

They long to see her face...

They haven't got to hold her yet...

Without...a cord or line...

They pace the room awaiting news...

And hope she'll be just fine.

Prayers fill this busy waiting room...

And mom and dad are scared...

Somewhere...someplace..today...

The tiniest hearts are repaired.

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A child's growing fast...

Smiling,laughing,thriving...

His mom thinks...can this last?

It's almost easy...to forget...

That anything is wrong...

Somewhere...someplace..today...

Her child seems so strong.

Somewhere...someplace... today...

A little boy fights...just to live

A father holds his tiny hand...

His love...all he can give...

The doctor's are all baffled...

They fear that he might die...

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A family says goodbye...

Somewhere...someplace...each year..

More than 40,000 families will see...

What it means...when something's wrong...

They'll face a CHD.

Today...for just a moment...

Stop...remember...reflect...

Make time to tell someone you know...

"I've been changed by a heart defect"

Author - Stephanie Husted


Did you know 1 in every 125 babies will have some kind of heart problem, big and small?

Did you know that nearly twice as many kids will die from CHD's this year as will die from childhood cancers, yet the funding for CHD's related research is minuscule in comparison to that of pediatric cancer research funding?

Today....everyday I thank my Heavenly Father for my little miracle. I cherish every precious second with our Sydney girl. I dread the day of her next open heart surgery but I know that Sydney is a fighter and that she can overcome anything that gets in her way! I love you Sydney bird! Thanks you so much for coming to our family and giving me the chance to be a Mom to a child with CHD! You have changed our hearts forever!