CHD Amareness on Valentine's Day

It's Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Month!!

Before Mason was diagnosed with HLHS on his very traumatic 3rd day of life, we had never heard of a CHD (or maybe, never paid enough attention to know that children and adults with CHD's create a very large poplulation in our world)). You always know that something could be wrong with your unborn baby, but how many people imagine that their baby could have a broken heart?? It's a terrifying and unimaginable experience.

Many parents find out during their 2o week ultrasound, but not all CHD's are identified at that time, like Mason's (And that was at the fault of nobody in our case. Mason's heart appeared to have 4 normal chambers.) All a parent wants in that nightmarish moment, whether during their ultrasound or unprepared like we were after birth, is some knowledge about what is wrong with their child and HOPE that he/she will survive.

One in every 125 babies is born with a CHD. It is the #1 birth defect in America. This year alone, close to 40,000 babies will be born with a CHD.

Nearly twice as many children die from Congenital Heart Defects in the United States each year as from all forms of childhood cancers combined.

Though research is ongoing, at least 35 defects have now been identified.
4-8% born with CHD have Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome --> Mason's Defect
4-10% born with CHD have Atrioventricular Septal Defects
8-11% born with CHD have Coarctation of the Aorta
9-14% born with CHD have Tetralogy of Fallot
10-11% born with CHD have Transposition of the Great Arteries
14-16% born with CHD have Ventricular Septal Defects

Miracle Mason is our Superman!

Miracle Mason is a CHD survivor!

Mason has fought for his life for 38 months now , but his battle will never be over. After going through 2 open heart surgeries his first 6 months of life, living with heart failure, and then surviving heart transplant surgery with only one healthy lung he will always have to fight off rejection! Mason will also always have to be careful of contracting infections especially lung infections. Transplant is not a cure. It is almost like trading one problem for another. But I will take the issues that come with Mason's lifesaving transplant over losing him to congenital heart disease and heart failure! He will FOREVER be on medications, will NEVER stop visiting his cardiologist regularly, and he will always have the possibility of needing oxygen therapy some day again because of his pulmonary vein stenosis .

Please consider becoming a blood donor and organ donor!

Please help us spread CHD awareness.

Their will probably never be a cure for the cause of CHD's, but with more funding and research, children born with CHD's will have a better chance of survival. Having a superman in our family has been nothing less than an amazing and joyful blessing, but many families lose their babies to CHD before they even have the chance to get to know their little miracle. I am grateful for our wonderful pedatricians office, American Fork Hospital, Primary Children's Medical Center, Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, and of course the hand of our Savior who have all played a role in Mason's survival,

(Click on image to enlarge)

Tonight Paul Cardall is putting on his 2nd annual concert to help families affected by CHD's. Mark and I are going tonight and I am very excited! (It's not to late to get tickets!!) Last year I missed it because I was packing to leave for Stanford the next day and also needed to spend my last night home with my family. Can you believe it will be one year on the 16th (Wednesday) that Mason and I flew to Stanford, taking a huge leap of FAITH to get Mason a new heart?!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!