“I was recovering from birth while walking from the parking garage to my baby multiple times a day, changing my pad in a hospital bathroom, setting alarms to pump. I mustered up the strength to sit at a hospital, postpartum, while my 1-week-old baby had his chest cut open.”
‘You aren’t leaving without delivering.’ I sat in disbelief. After 7 days of life, they cut into his side.’: Woman gives birth to baby with CHD, ‘We are blown away by his strength’
‘Oh no!’ I cried. I thought this only happened in movies. The doctor said, ‘I’m so sorry.’: Mom describes having Down syndrome baby, ‘I would choose him again and again’
“I felt like I was holding my breath for the remaining 27 weeks. Was I going to be able to love him as much as I love Lucas? I thought the Down syndrome label would consume this little being, that he would be more Down syndrome’s son than mine.”
‘Our baby is going to die.’ Harper spiked a 106-degree fever. ‘She has a 1% chance of making it to her first birthday.’: Mom births miracle baby with Trisomy 18
“The doctor said, ‘These kind of babies do not make it full term and if the baby is born alive, they only live a few days…a week at most.’ Weeks later we were told, ‘We can’t find any markers.’ They couldn’t see any holes in her heart and all of her other signs had disappeared. She looked perfect. My husband and I were lost and confused.”
‘When he is older, how do I explain this?’ We handed over a tiny 3-month-old for his first open-heart surgery.’: Mom of heart warrior thanks those who helped, ‘He lived, and so much of that is due to all of you’
“He shows his scar to everyone. Sometimes he will say, ‘I saved Mommy from a great white shark, look, guys!’ Other times, he just tells people, ‘I had heart surgery!’ The first question immediately is always, ‘Did it hurt, Finn!?’ He just sweetly replies no and then wants to play. He lived. We all did.”
‘We think you had a heart attack.’ I knew what was coming, the URGENT TRANSPLANT LIST.’: At 28, woman suffers heart failure and sepsis, ‘It’s HER heart that keeps me alive’
“My heart was failing. I couldn’t even get out of bed. I threw up instantly and then fainted. ‘I can’t be sick forever. I can’t live like this.’ The coordinator came in to tell me there may be a heart for me — her heart. I wasn’t scared. I was ready.”
‘Nana is in the hospital.’ She had a tear in her heart and only had three more days to live. It was unreal.’: Woman raised by grandma says ‘it is truly a miracle she is still here with us’
“I got a phone call from my mom. ‘Nana is in the hospital.’ I needed to spend her last few days by her side, just like she spent my whole life by mine. She didn’t know how little time she had left, and we wanted to keep it that way. I boarded a plane right away to go home.”
‘But do you love them as much as your biological children?’ They’re African-American, I’m Italian. My love for them is like no other.’: Couple adopts 5 children from foster care, ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way!’
“We took them in just for the weekend, but quickly fell in love. The longing to birth my own children simply went away. The love I felt for them was so strong. The social worker took us for a wild ride. She gave us an ultimatum. ‘If you don’t take the youngest sister back, I will take all 3 girls and place them in another home.'”
‘It’s just anxiety. It’s all in your head.’ I was on the floor, barely conscious. Something wasn’t right, and Ruby knew it.’: Woman diagnosed with POTS, genetic mutation with help from psychiatric service dog
“My dog Ruby was acting extremely odd towards me. I didn’t think anything of it. Then, paramedics arrived. By then, I was barely conscious, being rushed to the ER. I didn’t expect it: ‘The tests came back. It is life threatening and life expectancy is 38 years old.’ That hit me hard. I gave the doctor a nod and a quiet, ‘Okay.’ I was speechless. I didn’t know how to break the news to my fiancé.”
‘Your baby’s heart is on the wrong side.’ I cried. ‘PLEASE be with him, I don’t want him to be alone.’: Mom devastated to learn of newborn’s heart defect, wishes she could ‘take his place’
“The sonographer went very quiet and kept putting her body in strange positions. She said the baby was laying awkwardly. We had to sign papers prior to his surgery warning us of the risks… death being one of them. We were so helpless. He was so tiny. It didn’t seem fair. I was so excited to see my little boy and give him a big kiss.”
‘What the hell did you do!’ He looked at me. ‘You’ll likely be planing a funeral.’: Mom describes years of ‘medical issues’ with son, but he still ‘beats all odds’
“’We did find a few things wrong.’ They rushed him into emergency surgery. ‘There’s something wrong with the baby’s heart.’ Once again, we were faced with the possibility of not bringing him home. Once again, he beat all the odds and baffled all the doctors.”
