HOPE

My CHD Awareness Week posts were definitely lacking this weekend (SORRY!).  The good news is that there are still TWO more days for me to share some information with you!


Let me just say that I love today's post. 


I want to share a video with you that I saw a few weeks back.  My intention right from the start was to share it with all of you here in honor of CHD Awareness, but as the weeks passed my memory let me down (dang baby brain!) and I totally forgot about it until I saw the video pop up on another heart mom's blog last week (Thanks Jenny!)  


Sit back and be entertained by little Anna.  Smiles are guaranteed!

Anna is a perfect example of why there is so much HOPE in the CHD community.  Never would you look at her and guess that she has such a crazy little "robot heart."  =)  She looks healthy.  She acts healthy.  She is an inspiration and a model of what all heart parents pray for for their children--a "normal" life (or maybe its best to say a "well-adjusted" CHD life!)

My hopes for Charlotte were simple. 

1)  I wanted her to be happy.  Check!

2)  I wanted her to feel loved.  Check!

 

3)  I wanted her to be PROUD of who she was...battle scars and all.  Check!

4)  I wanted her to grow old and to be able to shout "TAKE THAT, CHD!"

I suppose I'll have to settle three out of four.

In the past week I heard of 2 more little angels that earned their wings after courageous fights with CHD.  While we have so much HOPE for the future of heart kiddos, we are constantly reminded that there is a lot of work to be done to help support this hope. 


I know that you are all busy people so I won't direct you to a million different CHD-related websites, but I will share one to get you started if you're interested!  Click HERE to be directed to The Children's Heart Foundation.  The website is full of great information, not to mention a video (~17 min) that covers lots of the basics.  And a special BONUS...the video also features our little heart buddy Logan!  His mom Stefani is the genius behind the blog event "Every Heart has a Story" and is also a part of the Pinterest project I mentioned last week.  I cry every single time I see her talk about Logan in this video.


We NEED increased awareness.

We NEED everyone on board with newborn screening.
We NEED more funding for research.
We NEED CHDs to be recognized for what they are...the leading cause of infant death in the United States.

We NEED HOPE.