Harper Ann was 7 months old when she had open heart surgery to close a large Ventricular Septal Defect. At the time of surgery, she weighed 14lbs 7oz and her heart was enlarged the size of her chest cavity causing fluid to back up into her lungs. She began showing heart failure symptoms at 5 months old. Her symptoms included belly retractions and grunting while breathing, difficulty drinking bottles larger than 2-3 oz, and low weight gain. At the beginning of August 2020, her doctors determined surgery was the only option. Her surgery was scheduled for September 9, 2020 in Augusta, Ga. The doctors wanted to see her gain weight for her upcoming surgery, so they placed a NG tube to ensure she was keeping the calories she was consuming and not burning them while eating. Harper Ann was also prescribed Lasix to decrease the fluid build up in her lungs. Harper Ann's surgery was a huge success. She stayed in the PICU in Augusta with some of the most amazing surgeons, cardiologists, doctors and nurses for 7 days. Her surgeon told us the hole in her heart was the size of a quarter. Since the repair, Harper Ann has been quickly catching up in milestones, eating all the food she can get her hands on and weighed in at 21lbs on her first birthday! We are truly thankful for the medical team who has loved and cared for Harper Ann and will continue to care for her throughout her miraculous life! 

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page for the Congenital Heart Walk. Raising funds for CHD research is critically important to all Heart Warriors and Heart Angels, and personally very meaningful to me. 

Please help us to fund CHD research by making a donation to my personal fundraising page. Together we can make a life-saving difference!