CHD Week - Day Five - New Life

For day 5 of CHD week, the title was NEW LIFE. We were given an incredible chance at new life for Madelynn. Something Phil and I are incredibly grateful for. There are certain photographs that I just have to see them and I can tell you everything; the month and year, how I felt in that moment, how the air smelled, exactly where we were, absolutely everything. They are powerful memories that changed my life forever.



The day after Open Heart Surgery to correct her CHD. She was 10 weeks old, October 2008

 

The day she was released from the hospital the 2nd time, December 2008.
 

Enjoying fresh air, finally on the road to recovery, January 2009.

These next three pictures are pure simple JOY!!
 

The freedom to travel out of the region for the first time.

Freedom to stick her toes in the sand and the ocean for the first time, May 2009.

This picture ALWAYS makes me smile, August 2010

A lost but found photo I just LOVE, January 2011



Every time I see this photo I am grateful she is living life to the fullest, June 2014.

 

Her first roller coaster, June 2014.
If you look really close you can see the top of her zipper scare.

Being a CHD family we are added to a statistic we never asked to be a part of. We had to make a new normal and figure out what works for us. Even families who have the same CHD as our Madelynn, their journey is different but the same. Our story is one of hope and we are happy to share.

We share to help those families recently diagnosed.
We share to remind those families everything is worth fighting for.
We share to show families they can have new life too.

But......

We also share to bring awareness to what can be a horrible experience.
We also share because there is never enough funding for proper research for CHD's.
We also share because every 1 in 100 babies is born with a CHD.
We also share because one day we hope all babies born with a CHD can be saved.

Madelynn is 1 in 100.

TTFN~