I never knew a broken heart was a perfect heart until I met my son. Happy Valentine's Day this Saturday...more importantly...happy Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week! Unless your life or that of a friend or loved one has been impacted by a CHD, you probably don't know too much about them. So, here is a some information to help spread the word about the most common birth defect.
During this week, take a moment to remember an angel (dear Kelby, Dylan, Kean, and so many more - I will never forget your precious lives), and celebrate a survivor. Little boy #1 is the most amazing survivor I know. Here is a quick picture story of just part of his journey...
Who knew a broken heart could make my heart so whole!
"Trust in the Lord with all your HEART..." Proverbs 3:5
- An approximate 100-200 deaths are due to unrecognized heart disease in newborns each year. CHDs occur in almost 1% of births. CHDs are the most common cause of infant death due to birth defects. These numbers exclude those dying before diagnosis.
- Nearly 40,000 infants in the U.S. are born each year with CHDs. Approximately 25% of these children will need heart surgery or other interventions to survive.
- CHDs are as common as autism and about twenty-five times more common than cystic fibrosis.
- Over 85% of babies born with a CHD now live to at least age 18. However, children born with more severe forms of CHDs are less likely to reach adulthood. Surgery is often not a cure.
- Approximately two to three million individuals are thought to be living in the United States with CHDs. Because there is no U.S. system to track CHDs beyond early childhood, more precise estimates are not available.
- There are more than 40 different types of congenital heart defects. Little is known about the cause of most of them. There is no known prevention or cure for any of them.
- Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding only a fraction of a penny is directed toward congenital heart defect research.
- 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.
During this week, take a moment to remember an angel (dear Kelby, Dylan, Kean, and so many more - I will never forget your precious lives), and celebrate a survivor. Little boy #1 is the most amazing survivor I know. Here is a quick picture story of just part of his journey...
Who knew a broken heart could make my heart so whole!
"Trust in the Lord with all your HEART..." Proverbs 3:5
 3 days old |  4 days shy of 6 months old |
2 years & 9 months old
 |  Taking pleasure in life, enjoying the simple things, appreciating the blessed life the good Lord gave him! |
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