CHD Week - Day Eight - Tribute to my Warrior

Since becoming a Heart Warrior Madelynn has been on a magazine cover

She was even one of the featured children on the inside of the magazine.

She became the poster child for the second quarter for Dairy Queen's involvement with the Children's Miracle Network last year all over the US.

She is helping spread awareness with the 335 Heart Foundation for children born with Congenital Heart Defects. Click the video to learn more and see Madelynn.

She was one of the youngest Heart Warriors to attend the inaugural year of Camp LUCK Family Camp in 2010. This May will be her 6th year attending.

www.CampLUCK.com

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It became a game that she would run away and Daddy would chase her (2010).

She was so tiny but had so much fun (2010).

She was ready for the Hawaiian Luau Lunch (2010).

Camp LUCK Family Camp 2014

She was even entered to win the ROCK YOUR SCAR contest with Mended Little Hearts (National).

However, none of these events is who she is. Traditionally, she is just a 6.5 year old little girl trying to keep up with school. She struggles daily with fine motor skills to be able to write. Because of her miniature stature she takes two or three steps for every one of mine. Her daily routine includes school, homework and soccer in the fall and spring. Except for the curiosity of why an almost 7 year old is so tiny, you would never know there is anything wrong.

We try to keep her life as normal as possible when we can. The opportunities we have been afforded to help spread awareness for CHD's, we will jump at the chance every day of the week and twice on Sunday. If the research and surgeries had not been done prior to hers, she would not be here today.

She is the reason I will get up at 6am go run a 5K for Cardiac rehab, race back out to the country to watch my other children play in a basketball tournament all while my mind is always wondering how else we can spread the word and help these heart warriors. I have seen where a hundred times over where parents will say they did not ask to be a member of this group or part of the growing statistic of 1 in 100 children is born with a CHD EVERY YEAR.

But we are a part of this statistic and we will do everything thing we can to spread awareness to raise the funds so that fewer heart warriors become heart angles and earn their wings. We love our heart families and wouldn't be who we are with out them.

Thank you for sharing our journey with us this week.

Happy Valentine's Day and Heart Week!!

TTFN~