Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week - My Heart Story

I had open heart surgery at a day old.

I, of course, don't remember this huge part of my story firsthand, but my parents do and as you would imagine, I've heard it quite frequently throughout my life. So today, in honor of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week and American Heart Month, I'm sharing my heart story. My goal in this article is to answer the questions I've been asked over the years and hopefully encourage mommas of heart-babies and kids growing up with a congenital heart defect.

My parents were 21-year-old college kids facing first-time parenthood. That's a scary thing in itself, but it got much scarier when, within minutes of my arrival, I turned blue.

It was quickly determined that I had a serious heart condition requiring immediate surgery.