Once a year, Gus has a follow-up with his cardiologist.

For several days before the appointment we prep him by saying we’re “just getting pictures of his superhero heart”,  the nurse is “just going to get his ‘robot numbers’” (he thinks it would be pretty cool to be a robot…or a zombie), “no, there won’t be any shots this time” and the doctor will “just tell us what it all means.”

We say these things to convince him it’s “no big deal”, to keep him from being anxious about the appointment.

But it is a big deal. 

It’s the biggest, most monumental deal.  

It’s the big deal reminder that Gus is alive and thriving! The big deal reminder of how grateful we are that he is with us thanks to the continuing push for better and more lasting medical interventions and  treatments for Congenital Heart Defects.

The facts around CHDs are clear:

• 1 in 110 children are born with a CHD.

• 25% of children born with a CHD will need a surgery or other interventions in their first year of life to survive.

• 25% of children born with a complex CHD will not see their first birthday.

Thanks to advancements made through research, death rates from CHDs in the U.S. have declined by 37.5% since 1999 and today more infants with CHDs are surviving to adulthood.  Yet, CHD research is highly under-funded relative to the prevalence of the disease.

Join TEAM GUS again in our 5th year in the fight against CHD!  We’re happy to be participating in the Cincinnati Congenital Heart Walk supporting the Children’s Heart Foundation on August 21, 2022!

If you’d like to make a donation, you can simply follow the link to our page at the bottom of this message. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference!

Thank you to all the past members of TEAM GUS and our new friends who are pushing for a day when Congenital Heart Defects really are “no big deal!”

With Gratitude, 

Matt, Michelle, Ruby and Gus