Recognize Congenital Heart Awareness Week

It’s that time of the year where our thoughts turn to those we love.  You don’t have to travel very far to see variations of red and pink hearts to commemorate the holiday.  We see hearts in the malls, grocery stores, inside schools and even as decoration in our homes. 

For many though, Valentine’s Day is a bittersweet holiday.   February 7 – 14 marks CHD Awareness Week.  Congenital Heart Defects are structural problems in the heart that arise from abnormal formation of the heart or major blood vessels near the heart.   These changes occur before birth and can range from mild to extremely complicated. 

Congenital Heart Defects are the most common birth defect and are responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defect, according to the National Institute of Health.  Nine out of every 1000 births will have some kind of CHD. 

In the United States alone, 1.8 million families are affected by CHD.  Children who are born with heart defects require highly specialized care involving a course of treatment that may include medication and surgery.  Oftentimes, these children have multiple surgeries and for the most severe, heart transplants.

This is a topic near and dear to my heart, because we are one of those families.  Kevin is our “Heart Child”.  He is a miracle.  He is strong, compassionate, brave and knowledgable well beyond his years when it comes to his health.  He is my hero.

 If I didn’t tell you Kevin suffered from CHD, you would never know.  He looks and acts just like every other middle school student.  He complains about having to get up early in the mornings, having too much homework and not getting nearly enough access to his cell phone or computer.  It is not until he takes off his shirt that you recognize the impact of CHD on his life.  Kevin has had four heart surgeries and five cardiac catheterizations.  All of these procedures designed to make his heart more efficient yet it is still not considered “normal”. 

Kevin will always have CHD.  It is always there. If will always affect his life.  This is the harsh reality of CHD. 

This is not a road we would have chosen to travel, but nonetheless we are on it.  As a result, we have run the spectrum of emotions.  We have shed tears as we have lost other heart children near and dear to our hearts and we have celebrated with those heart kids who have grown up, become independent and are taking on the world with gusto.  Each and every one of these “Heart Kids” has touched the hearts and lives of many.

This week, as you move about town, when you see a big, red Valentine, remember that heart disease does not just affect adults and join me in remembrance of the children affected by, lost to and living with CHD.