Raising funds for congenital heart defect (CHD) research is not only critically important to all babies born with, and children and adults living with CHDs, it is also personally meaningful to me.

On April 13, we went to - what I assumed was a precautionary - cardiology appointment. In less than an hour, we went from a normal Wednesday afternoon to a brand new reality. We were told our daughter, Maggie, had a congenital heart defect. I don't think I will ever forget that moment. She would need surgery to repair a coarctation of her aorta, and soon. By the time we left the cardiologist, I was in contact with people at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. 

By 6 am the next morning, we were on our way to meet our surgical team. The next few days are a blur. We were quickly immersed into the heart world. Heart rate, oxygen level, typical blood pressure for a ten month old, and Maggie's current blood pressure, which was too high for her little body. 

I will never forget the nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors, surgeons, pharmacists, occupational and physical therapists, social workers, etc who helped us navigate that first week. 

Maggie's heart surgery was an incredible success. Although she will spend time on medicine to lower her blood pressure and help her iron levels, we have a healthy, happy little girl!

By donating to help me reach my fundraising goal, you’re helping to fund the most promising research into CHDs - America’s most common birth defect. Although no parent wants to hear that their child has a CHD, we were lucky. I am forever grateful for the knowledge of our nurses and pediatricians who first heard the murmur, the calm, reassuring, practiced demeanor of our cardiologist who first explained Maggie's CHD, and the skill and expertise of our team at Hopkins who fixed her heart. I'm hopeful that through continued CHD research, more parents will bring home healthy, happy babies. 

Together we can make a life-saving difference! Thank you in advance for your support.