February= Awareness

February is CHD Awareness Month!  

Prior to our 32nd week of pregnancy, we knew next to nothing about congenital heart defects or for that matter Digeorge syndrome.  Throughout our experience with Landry, her heart surgery, visits with cardiologists, and many, many echocardiograms, we've learned SO much.  In addition to the information from doctors,  we have also heard from several close friends about the heart defects they have encountered through their children or for that matter the CHD that they have.  One of my best friends had heart surgery almost 32 years ago.  Hearing her story in college was amazing and inspiring. Never did I dream that my own little girl would share the same experience, but we are so grateful that Landry has Auntie Maggie so that she can share ALL that she has been through with someone who understands at a deeper level.  It is amazing how you can go through life never realizing the prevalence of something, then when it is a part of your world you see it everywhere.  God is so good in that he allows built in support from others who share in a part of your testimony. 

We have recently been reflecting on how grateful we are to live in todays age of technology because of the ways it has directly impacted Landry's life and well being.  Words can't fully express the gratefulness we feel towards those medical professionals that continue to learn, research and understand how to help babies born with hearts that need mended.  Below are some facts about CHD...

• Congenital heart defects are America’s and every country’s #1 birth defect. Nearly one of every 100 babies is born with a CHD.
• Congenital heart defects are the leading cause of all infant deaths in the United States. 
• In the United States, twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHD.  
• Each year over 1,000,000 babies are born worldwide with a congenital heart defect. 100,000 of them will not live to see their first birthday and thousands more die before they reach adulthood. (Facts via CHF)