It's National Heart Month

Well, February is here. The month of January seemed to drag on, especially with the winter we've been having...although we can't be happier for it warming up and starting to thaw. Of course I've been reading a lot on Maddie's heart condition. There is so much to take in. I've found it "somewhat" comforting to know and prepare myself for this. Although after reading countless stories of babies with similar defects, I find it hard to sleep and keep pondering on the "what if's". Lately, it's been difficult to accept this and I find myself asking the question, why? But this really gets me no where, except down. Staying positive and having faith are 2 things that I am constantly working on. Some exciting news...our lives were touched yesterday by the birth of Andy & Danyel's baby girl...Jillian Lee! A girl cousin for Maddie, yeah! She's a little lovie.

Through my research, I've found that February is National Heart Month and Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) Awareness Week is February 7th-14th. Now that we have been touched by a heart defect, these two causes are important and now mean something to me. Very sad that I never realized this existed before or ever even thought of a heart defect affecting us. So, I found this poem and would like to share it for February:heart month.

Valentines Day is celebrated with hearts of every kind,
There's paper hearts and chocolate hearts and hearts that speak our minds
It is a day to express our love, from deep inside our soul,
To acknowledge loved ones in our life and let our feelings show.
Now this day, will be special, in yet another way,
It's been proclaimed, in many states, CHD Awareness Day.
On this day we honor those born with their heart broken,
The world will know of their plight, silent thoughts now spoken.
We will remember loved ones, lost to CHD.
In our souls and in our hearts, forever they will be.
To those who continue the fight each day we are filled with admiration,
Your courage, faith and love for life deserve this celebration.
We also want to recognize, honor and give praise,
To those who keep our hopes alive with their kind and caring ways.
The nurses, doctors, and researchers are part of this day too,
For many hearts that still beat on, we give our thanks to you.
A day of hearts it truly is, hearts of red and gold,
Now add to it a brand new symbol, another heart to hold.
Please remember on this day, those with hearts not perfect,
And everyone who loves someone, with a congenital heart defect.
by Dolly Lee

Very touching and gives a new meaning to Valentine's Day for me. Also, here's a few facts on CHD:

- Sometimes during early pregnancy, a baby's heart fails to form properly, resulting in structural abnormalities known as Congenital Heart Defects. Although some defects are genetic, in many cases the cause is unknown.

-It is estimated that 40,000 babies with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) are born in the United States each year (about 8 in 1,000 births).

-CHD is the most common occurring birth defect and are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths. For 1 in 10 babies born with a heart defect, it's a fatal heart defect.

If you're interested in finding more out about Congenital Heart Defects, visit some of the links posted at the bottom of our blog.