CHD Awareness Week + Pinterest = Pure Awesomeness!

If you haven't heard of the website Pinterest yet, well, you must be living under a rock. It has quickly become one of the most talked about sites and I have to admit, I am an Pinning Addict. And proud! I have made so many awesome crafts and recipes from my pins! And thanks to a fellow heart mom, I now love it even more! Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week is February 7-14 and we are spreading awareness every way possible. There is a board on Pinterest labeled "The Faces of CHD - Congenital Heart Awareness Week Feb. 7-14,2012", you can find it here. Kids with CHDs from all around the country are featured as "pins" on this board. So head on over and read their stories and "Aww" at their cute little faces ;) And of course, don't forget to repin and help spread awareness! :)

Evan was born 12/1/2010 with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), Aortic Atresia, and Mitral Stenosis. He endured his first open heart surgery at 8 days old. Evan suffered seizures and a paralyzed left vocal cord post surgery. His paralyzed vocal cord caused him to aspirate milk into his lungs. Evan had a feeding tube placed into his tummy at 4 weeks old. Evan had his second open heart surgery at 5 months old and recovered quickly! He had his feeding tube removed and was taken off of his seizure medicine. He still continues to struggle with his fine and gross motor skills. Evan is still awaiting his third surgery.

 And look at him now! He is happy and so so sweet, we completely adore every second we have with him. Sometimes at night while I am rocking him to sleep, I can't help but wonder how long we will be blessed to have him with us. It's hard to think of your child as terminally ill when they look so darn healthy! But, that is part of living with a CHD. You can't tell most babies/kids have a heart defect until you see the scar they proudly wear down their chest. <3

Heart defects affect 1 in 100 babies. CHDs are the #1 birth defect. There are 35 different heart defects. Currently, there is no explanation for what causes a CHD.