Happy Heart Day!

On Valentine's Day 2012, Peter and I learned that our baby-on-the-way, then 22 weeks along, had a broken heart. We were told he had a severe Congenital Heart Defect, then diagnosed as Double Outlet Right Ventricle (although revised at birth to Double Inlet Left Ventricle). The outlook was not good, and it sounded initially like our baby boy was not to be.

In those first few days of shock and tears, James began kicking up a storm as though to tell us that he wanted to live and was going to fight. Two heart surgeries later, he's a giggly and active almost 8-month old... and here we are, one year later and once again celebrating Valentine's Day. This year's Valentine is success and recovery and relief and much love.

The month of February is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Month each year, with special focus on this week and this day as CHD Awareness Week and Heart Day:

- CHDs affect approximately 1 in 100 births

- CHDs are as common as autism

- CHD surgery is not a cure, but hopefully in the coming years a lasting treatment will be found. Lots of amazing research is being conducted!

About Congenital Heart Defects

mendedlittlehearts