Vivian was diagnosed with a heart murmur at just 12 hours old. While we were so excited to welcome her into our lives, we were also scared for what the future would hold knowing she was born with a congenital heart defect. As the months passed and Vivian grew into a very active little lady, we became hopeful that the small hole would close on its own. Unfortunately, we were not so lucky. In September 2024, Vivian was hospitalized after a bought with the common cold, and it was then that we learned the time had come to officially close the hole for good. Open heart surgery was scheduled and we went into quarantine with many unanswered questions and a mix of emotions - could we keep her healthy enough to get the surgery? Would surgery work? What was waiting for us on the other side of surgery? Our emotions bounced from happiness to sadness to anger to fear, while we leaned on those closest to us to keep us mentally strong and upbeat as we cared for Vivian.
On November 15, 2024 our miracle was complete; Vivian's surgery was a success and she was no longer in heart failure! It is a day we will truly never forget and a day we will celebrate with immense pride and gratitude for years to come. Vivian's dedicated and skilled care team at Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn made it possible, and we are forever in their debt. In true Vivian fashion, she was ready to bust out of the hospital even though we were left with strict instructions to limit her activity for the next 12 weeks! That would be quite the feat for us as parents to a 10-month old little girl who loved exploring her world.
Today, we see Vivian running around the park, letting her true personality shine through, and living life as any other 2-year old toddler would. You would never know all she has overcome, and that she is our HEART WARRIOR! Her care team was not kidding when they told us we were in for a wild ride with Vivian given how active she was before surgery!
We are committed to making a difference for fellow heart warriors, leading us to participate in The Children's Heart Foundation, Congenital Heart Walk in Chicago this spring. It's not just a walk; it's the pulse that helps positively impact changing lives by advancing the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital heart defects through groundbreaking research.
We invite you to join Vivian's heartBEAT Brigade by supporting our fundraising efforts. Together, we can raise the funds essential to drive forward life-saving research for children, like Vivian, born with congential heart defects.
Thank you for your generosity, and for walking alongside in this mission. Your contribution and support means the world to us!
