It’s Just a Heart Cath…

It’s just a heart cath. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that phrase come from the mouth of a heart parent. I can’t tell you how many times my wife and I said it in the months and weeks leading up to my son, Tucker’s (Hypoplastic left heart syndrome, HLHS), heart cath on May 22^nd.

A heart cath, or cardiac catheterization, is a procedure in which doctors insert a catheter and guide wire into a major blood vessel and move them until they reach the heart. Most heart caths originate in the groin and enter the heart through the femoral artery. Once the catheter is in place, the doctor uses a dye and fluoroscopy (real time x-ray showing movement) to get a very accurate picture of the heart and surrounding blood vessels. In kids with congenital heart defects (CHDs), heart caths are typically used as a diagnostic tool prior to surgery or to make smaller repairs. In Tucker’s case, the heart cath was used to make sure everything looked good in his heart prior to having open-heart surgery on June 18^th.

A few days before Tucker’s procedure, I found myself thinking about the phrase, “It’s just a heart cath.” To most parents, it wouldn’t be “just” a heart cath, it would be something big! To most parents of kids with CHDs, it is a fairly minor part of their treatment.

When you compare a heart cath, which usually is a one day affair, with an open-heart surgery, it’s not that big of a deal. But it really all comes down to a matter of perspective. Many CHD parents experience numerous surgical procedures during the course of their child’s treatment. Heart caths usually occur before these surgeries. Most don’t require an overnight stay in the hospital. There are, relatively, few risks involved. Heart caths are just part of the process, like echocardiograms and cardiologist visits.

To a parent of a child with a more “minor” CHD, a heart cath may be the only procedure that they ever have. Some heart holes can be repaired during a cardiac catheterization. To a parent of a heart healthy child, a heart cath would probably be a very big deal. Prior to having Tucker, if you had told me that my child would be put to sleep, taken to a surgical room, have a wire fed through the largest artery in his leg into his heart, and then have to remain completely still for several hours after waking up, I would have freaked out. Now it’s “just a heart cath!”

Perspective is an important thing. Things that are a big deal to one parent might be minor to another. We don’t always know another person’s story or experiences. Tucker’s HLHS is a more severe form of CHD than a simple hole in the heart, but that doesn’t mean that a child with that defect is any less important or significant than Tucker. His or her parents aren’t any less of a CHD parent than Dena and I. Many CHD parents get wrapped up in our world and we sometimes try to compare our lives to the lives of parents dealing with other childhood disorders. We get frustrated because childhood cancer gets more attention and funding than CHD research and prevention. But it’s not a competition. They are both tragic. The kids and the parents from both sides go to hell and back. Lives are lost to both. It’s all about perspective.

Tucker’s heart cath went very well. The doctor said that his heart looked as good as possible for a child with HLHS. The pressures in his heart and blood vessels were in the correct range and he was cleared for surgery. He was a little feisty when waking up from the anesthesia, but he recovered quickly. It wasn’t too hard to keep him still for a couple of hours, all we had to do was put on his favorite movie and give him snacks and drinks.

As we gear up for Tucker’s big surgery, it’s hard not to wish it was just a heart cath! He has survived and thrived after his first two surgeries and there is no reason to think differently about this next one, but it is still tough to prepare ourselves for it. When I start to feel a little overwhelmed about everything, I think about the families wishing for a surgery to fix their child’s problem or the families who are making funeral arrangements. I wonder if they would think, “It’s just a heart surgery!”?

Perspective…

~Trent

Surprise...AGAIN

Well, today we learned why cardiologists don't usually use their ultrasound machines to determine the gender of a baby.

Today we had our final appointment with the perinatologist, Dr. Weiss, who looks very closely at the baby to make sure that there is nothing wrong with any part of the baby. He, obviously, looked closely at the heart and he also looked at all of the other organs, appendages, etc. He also took some blood from Dena to run some tests on it.

The doctor said that everything looked great with the baby. There are the proper number of fingers, toes, ventricles, blood vessels, eyes, ears, etc. Everything looked perfectly normal and he said that there was no way that the baby had HLHS. WHAT A RELIEF!!! It doesn't appear that we will have any scary surprises this time and we are very thankful!

Profile of the new baby

After he had looked at all of the important stuff, the doctor asked us if we wanted to know the baby's gender. We told him that we did want him to confirm it for us, but that one of the cardiologists had told us last week that she was 95% sure that it was a girl. He replied, "I will be the judge of that and then I will text her and tease her if she was wrong!" So he began to move the baby around and then he said, "Well, I guess I have to text her." Dena said, "WHAT?" The doctor replied, "It's a boy!" Then Dena said, "But the cardiologist said that it was a girl!" So Dr. Weiss said, "Well, if this is a girl, then she has a weenie!" I nearly fell out of my chair laughing! Then the doctor showed us the visual evidence that the baby indeed is a boy.

It's a Boy!

After leaving Dr. Weiss' office, we met with Dr. Thomas, Tucker's cardiologist, to look again more closely at the heart. Last week when he looked, he couldn't see a number of the things that he needed to look at, but today he could see everything. The baby has 4 normal ventricles, a normal aorta, no evident septal defects, and normal blood flow in and around the heart. That is about as clear and normal as you can get at this stage of development. He actually even said that he was confident enough in what he saw today, that we probably don't need to come back for another look. What a blessing!

As I mentioned last week, we were hoping for a girl, but, above all, we want a healthy baby. I think that we both felt like it was a boy deep down. Regardless, Tucker will be a great big brother and we can't wait to watch them grow up and play together.

I do want to say that we have no hard feelings about this surprise! We knew that the cardiologist is not an expert at determining the gender of a baby. She told us that she was pretty sure (95%) that it was a girl, but that she couldn't guarantee it. The cardiologists use different wands for the ultrasound machine than OBGYN's use, they are designed to look at hearts, not at babies inside the womb. The cardiologist also isn't as skilled at manipulating the baby to get good shots of the parts.

Now the hard part will be changing our plans. We will have to repaint the baby's room, but we won't have to buy near as much stuff, since we still have all of Tucker's old clothes and toys. The hardest thing will be coming up with a name. We have had a girl's name picked out since before we got married, but we don't have any ideas for a boy's name. With Tucker, we saw the name and just knew that it was right, but I spent a while earlier tonight looking at boy's names and none of them really sounded right to me. Right now, the only two names that we even remotely like are Case and Reed, but we definitely are ready to stop looking yet.

We hope that nobody else had purchased anything for a baby girl yet. We did receive a few girl things at Christmas, but nothing big. We apologize for the change, but I can assure you that we were more surprised by today's events than anybody, except for maybe the cardiologist.

So, let's try this AGAIN...Surprise...It's a...

We hope that everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!

~Trent

Surprise! It's a ...

We had a visit with Tucker's cardiologist, Dr. Thomas, today. As a heart parent, this is a very nerve-racking experience, especially when it has been 6 months since the last checkup. The good news is that Tucker's heart looked great and we are still on track to have his last surgery in Summer 2013. You can read more about Tucker's checkup on his site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tuckerhamilton

The other bit of news we have is that, while we were at the cardiologist, we were given the opportunity to get a look at the new baby's heart. We were Dr. Thomas' last patient before lunch, so he had some extra time and asked us if we wanted to check on the baby's heart. Of course, we didn't hesitate or waste this opportunity, even though we have our next Perinatologist appointment next week and were scheduled for a fetal ultrasound then too.

Dr. Thomas took special care to look at each ventricle and all of the major vessels of the heart that were visible. He told us that he could only see about 60% of the things he needed to look at, but that all of those looked good. Specifically, the baby appears to have 2 normal sized ventricles and the aorta looked good too. This is such a relief because those are the two main parts of Tucker's defect, HLHS. He will look at the heart again next week more thoroughly and then we will go back for a final check sometime before 25 weeks, which we are currently at about 17 weeks.

I can't tell you how excited and blessed we are to have this news. We expected to check for these things next week, but we were beginning to get nervous about it. The one thing that was holding us back from being completely ecstatic about this baby was the fear of a repeat experience. It was actually quite emotional for us...Dena cried! We know that we can't be 100% sure of everything for a few more weeks, but we do feel better!

Finally, one of the other cardiologists asked us if we might want to check on the gender of the baby. Again, there was no hesitation...we certainly did! The baby was not in the best position to get a good look at the gender and the doctor is not an expert at determining gender, but she felt about 95% sure that the baby would be.

So for the news:

The bottom line for us is that we want a healthy baby. But, if we could pick which type of healthy baby, it would definitely be a girl. We have our little boy and we both felt like a girl would be a perfect fit. We already have a name picked out, we already have the guest room painted in a feminine color to become the nursery, and we think that Tucker will be a good big brother for a little sister!

This was a great day for our family! Tucker's heart looks amazing, the new baby's heart looks good, and we found out it would be a girl. We are blessed beyond measure! If we don't get anything at all for Christmas, this will be enough! Honestly, this news is the best present that we could have asked for, special thanks to Dr. Thomas for making this happen!

Thanks for stopping by and supporting our family! We hope that everyone has a great holiday and has an opportunity to love on your family. Remember that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because our God sent his only son to us, to die for our sins. It isn't about presents, food, or prosperity, it's about a tough situation that ended up saving our souls!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!

~Trent

We're Having a Baby!

 Just a quick note to share the news that Tucker is going to be a big brother.

We have known for almost a month, but wanted to keep it a secret until we were closer to the safe zone. It has been really hard to not tell everyone, but we are glad that we waited. Dena had a obgyn appointment today and we got to see Baby Hamilton. Dena is 7 weeks & 3 days pregnant and the baby is exactly the right size and it's heart was beating strong at 162 bpm. The official due date is May 27, 2012, but we will probably schedule a delivery for the week before.

We made the decision to switch doctors for Dena this time around because Medical City is our hospital now and we needed a doctor that was there. We definitely don't want to take any chances with this baby. This is also why we will probably schedule the delivery a week early, we would have an hour drive if she went into labor unexpectedly. The new doctor, Dr. Diaz, is great! She made Dena very comfortable and she is really nice and easy going. We think we made a very good choice!

Probably the most common question that we have had so far is, "what are the chances that this baby will have a CHD?" CHDs occur in about 1 in 100 babies, HLHS occurs in about 1% of those babies. This baby will have about 1% higher risk of having a CHD, so a 2% chance. It is not very common to have multiple babies with CHDs, but it does happen. This is another reason why we will have this baby at Medical City. We will also have a very thorough fetal ultrasound at about 20 weeks to check on the baby's heart and other organs.

We are very excited, but also trying to be cautious. There is still a chance for miscarriage until about 9 weeks, but everything looked good today. Tucker doesn't understand yet, but he loves babies and will be excited...but probably jealous too!

We will keep you updated on Baby Hamilton's progress. We would appreciate prayer!

Thanks, as always, for visiting our page.

~Trent

Losing It!

It has been WAY too long since I really blogged! I've been meaning to write this post for a while now. Every time I would start, something would come up and I would get sidetracked. I've finally decided that I need to get back going on this page, especially since blogging is going to become a much bigger part of my life in the near future, but more on that later!

A little over a year ago, Dena and I made the decision to lose weight. We decided that we needed to be healthier and set a better example for Tucker. We made the commitment to each other, for Tucker, that we would get our eating under control! We decided to try Weight Watchers because they had a free trial going on and it looked simple enough. I have to say that it has not been nearly as hard as we thought it would be. We have both done a very good job and we are both healthier today than we were a year ago!

I must say that if you are considering losing some weight, we would both highly recommend Weight Watchers. We like the fact that you can still eat the things that you want, you just have to do it in moderation. I feel like this method really creates a lasting change in your life that will be easy to maintain after you are off of the plan. Crash diets, quick fixes, and the like can work, but they usually don't last! In my opinion, the faster you lose it, the quicker you will gain it back! We both use the online program and mostly track our points using the iPhone app. Once you get in the habit, it really becomes second nature and if you miss a few days tracking, you can usually tell if you were good or not just by how you feel.

Honestly, our decision to do this together has made all of the difference. If it had just been one of us, we wouldn't have succeeded! If you are married or dating, making a lifestyle change can only happen as a team. We do well together and we are bad together.

I also believe that this has helped Tucker to eat better and to slim down a little bit. While he has grown taller over the last few months, he has also been eating better because of us. His HLHS will be a constant struggle for his health, he doesn't need a weight problem to exacerbate things. Creating a habit of eating well now, will pay off for him in the long run.

So, you are probably curious about our results. I think the proof is in the pictures, which you can see below, but the numbers don't lie either:

-I (Trent) started this journey at a hefty 300 lbs. in August of 2010. Currently, I weigh 231 lbs. This is a total weight loss of 69 lbs. in a year. I have been as low as 227 lbs., but had a little too much fun and food during the summer and am trying to regain my handle on things.

-Dena has had a little tougher time, but this is expected for most women. Regardless, I am very proud to say that she has lost 36 lbs. over this last year. She has worked hard and I am very happy for her!

We are obviously still a work in progress but we have accomplished many of our goals. My original goal was to get down to 220 lbs., but since I have almost reached this goal, I have upped the ante. I now have a goal weight of 200 lbs., which would be a total weight loss of 100 lbs.

I have added some pictures below, so you can see our progress. If you have any questions about losing weight, we would both be glad to help!

Me in the same shirt: Before (left), 6-month progress (right)

Me & Dena, September 2010 (Before)

Me & Dena, September 2011 (After)

Me & Dena, September 2011 (After)

Me & Dena, September 2011 (After)

 

~Trent

Spring Break with Surgical Precision

Well, here we are, Spring Break, one of the joys of being a teacher!

The plan for this week was to relax a little bit and then spend several days camping at Lake Texoma...plans change!

Dena has been having chest and side/back pains for several weeks and after seeing the doctor, it was determined that she had gallstones. The only way to fix the gallstones is to remove the gallbladder. She met with a surgeon last week and they scheduled the surgery to remove it for today. This was not how we wanted to spend our Spring Break, but if it makes her feel better then it is worth it!

We checked in at Baylor Regional Hospital of Plano at noon today and her surgery was scheduled for 2:30 pm. The check-in process was not the most pleasant experience! Even though they called us yesterday to let  us know what to expect today, they failed to mention that we would be required to pay for at least 40% of the surgery today. When we checked in, they asked for the money and we were certainly surprised; no money, no surgery...THANK GOD for credit cards!!! I'm not sure when this type of expectation became standard practice for hospitals, but apparently it is very common, we just haven't dealt with anything like this before.

The surgery for removing a gallbladder is done laparoscopically. They don't make a large incision, they make several small ones and use a camera to see what is going on and small tools to perform the surgery. The procedure itself only took about 45 minutes. Dena did great through the surgery and everything went well. The doctor said that her gallbladder was basically useless because of the gallstones and that she would feel like a new person once she was recovered from the surgery. The hardest part of this procedure is dealing with all of the air that they pumped into her chest cavity to be able to use the laparoscope. Getting rid of the gases over the next week or so will cause some pain and discomfort, but she has dealt with it before and she will be fine.

While Dena was in the day surgery area waiting for surgery and while she was in surgery, I got to wrangle a stir-crazy 18 month old. We took toys and videos for the computer, but all he wanted to do was roam the halls. He didn't get a morning nap so he was very tired and this made things worse. Thankfully, there was a very nice man working in the waiting room and he found an empty consultation room with a couch where we could turn down the lights and let him nap. After about an hour of napping, he was ready to go again. He was actually pretty good, about as good as you could expect a toddler to be in that type of situation, but it is not something that I want to try again for a while! It was also helped by the fact that Dena's mother was there with me and then our pastor came too.

They started her surgery at about 3:30 and we were in the car leaving the hospital by 6:00. It is amazing that technology has advanced so much that Dena can have a part of an internal organ removed and go home from the hospital 3 hours later. She was nauseous and very tired after surgery, but she should feel better tomorrow. We made a couple of stops on the way home for some food and some pain medication. Bert and Barbara made a great salad for her and after dinner, she and Tucker were ready for bed. She will need to take it easy for several days, but should be ready for work next week. They actually said that the more she does this week, the easier it would be to get rid of the air in her chest and she would feel better faster.

So, as far as our camping plans go, we will see how she feels tomorrow and if she is up to it, we will head to the lake with the camper on Thursday. I think that she will be fine and she can relax at the lake like she can here. But if she isn't up to it, we will just spend some quality time here at the house.

The other BIG news that we have is that we have a team to participate in the 1st Annual HEART WALK in Corinth, TX! A national heart group, It's My Heart, is teaming up with Lake Dallas High School to put on the event. Our team, called Team HEART BUDZ, will be walking for Tucker and our buddy Ethan. We need people to walk with us and would love for you to join our team, you can do so by clicking here and selecting "Join Our Team"! The weather should be great and you are supporting a GREAT cause, so please come out and show your love for Tucker. If you can't come, but would still like to help, you can make a donation to our team by clicking here! Every dollar helps us reach our team goal of $500. Please honor Tucker by walking or donating and help us help other CHD families!

Thanks for reading the blog, leave us a comment to let us know that you were here!

~Trent

Plus 1!

For those of you who know my family, you probably wonder how much bigger we can actually get...well, it seems like we get bigger every day!

Aunt Dena with Beckett

Beckett relaxing

Uncle Trent and Beckett

I told you a few months ago that my brother and sister-in-law were expecting a baby boy. That addition to our family arrived this past Wednesday, March 2nd. Beckett Hayden Hamilton came to us last week, weighing in at 9 lbs. 12 oz with a length of 20 in. We are all very excited about Beck and we are happy that mom and baby are doing great. Beck is a big boy and he likes to eat! As excited as we are, I don't think that anyone's happiness can compare to the big sister, Maddie!!! Amelia and Beckett were discharged from the hospital today and they are all at home tonight...hopefully getting some rest.

Proud big sister, Maddie, and Beckett

The Hamilton Men!

Beckett is following in daddy's footsteps!

We can't wait to go see Beckett again, but we have to get our little man well first. Tucker was sick all day yesterday and we took him to the doctor today. In addition to an upper-respiratory infection, he is dealing with the flu. Needless to say, he is not a happy camper right now and we are ready for a stretch of health for our family! You can read more about the crazy, sick last month for us at www.caringbridge.org/visit/tuckerhamilton.

Finally, I want to share with you about a new family that we have been connected to through our friendship with Matt Hammitt. I was introduced, through email, to Alexis and Vince about a month ago. They are a very young, married couple who just found out that they are expecting a daughter, Scarlet, who has HLHS. Because they are young and newly married, this is especially hard for them. I have been in contact with Alexis over the last few weeks and have been trying to show them love and support like we received. They live in Las Vegas, so it is difficult to help a whole lot, but we are trying to be there for them and answer any questions that they have. Alexis went for a check-up with the cardiologist this week and she received some difficult news. The doctor told her that part of Scarlet's hard is not letting enough blood get to her lungs and that she may not survive until birth. I know that God performs miracles every day and I would appreciate if you would begin praying for a miracle in Scarlet's life. I also know, that God has a perfect plan for this family and that it may mean that Scarlet doesn't survive. Please also pray that God will look after and bless this young family, especially if they have to deal with loss.

Thanks for visiting us, leave a comment to let us know that you were here!

~Trent

CHD Awareness Week - Day 7!

Heart Babies that we Love!

We appreciate everyone who stops by here to read our story, but we have other friends who need the support as well.  Below is a list of our friends (in no particular order) who happen to be going through similar trials as us.  Please pay them a visit and remember them in your prayers.

Bowen (HLHS) - http://bowensheart.com/

Liam (TOF) - www.johnsonheartbeat.com/

David (HLHS) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyhood

Ethan (TGA) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/ethankyle or http://aym4him.blogspot.com/

Maribeth (HLHS, adult) - www.maribethgillis.blogspot.com/

Grace (HRHS) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/gracecooper or http://cooperempire.blogspot.com/

Scott (TGA) - www.thefishpawfamily.blogspot.com

Greta (HRHS) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/gretas

Thomas (HLHS) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/babythedford

Nathan (HLHS) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/nathanweems

Jameson (HLHS) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/jamesonfinley

Jacob (several CHDs) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/jacobhayes

Emily (several defects) - www.caringbridge.org/visit/emily

Also, don't forget that we have updates just for Tucker at his page, www.caringbridge.org/visit/tuckerhamilton.

Thanks again for the support this week during CHD Awareness Week! I will be updating again tomorrow with some new pictures from this weekend.

With love & Heart Hugs!

Trent, Dena, & Tucker

CHD Awareness Week - Day 6!

7 Reasons We Are Happy to Be CHD Parents

1.  Because God loved, blessed, and trusted us enough to have a special baby with a special heart!

2.  Because his heart is half the normal size, which means we get to love him twice as much.

3.  Because through this process we have found out what great family and friends that we are blessed to have supporting us.

4.  Because we have made lots of new friends in the CHD community.

5.  Because through Tucker, we have been able to share an amazing story about God's unending love and the miracles that can occur with him!

6.  Because we are guaranteed to never have a "normal" or "routine" day.

7.  Because every time we see his scar, we are reminded of what a miracle and blessing ALL babies are to their parents!

To ALL parents who read this page: It is SO important to get your kids checked for CHDs, regardless of their age. Most defects are diagnosed at birth, but many aren't caught until later in life and that can be a dangerous prospect! Most athletes who die from sudden heart failure are found to have an undiagnosed CHD. Also, how many babies who die of SIDS actually had a CHD that was missed.

Don't know how to get your child checked? The easiest way is to use a pulse oximeter, which can be found at any doctor's office. It is a totally non-invasive test and only takes a few seconds. If you are expecting, you should INSIST on having your baby checked with a pulse oximeter immediately after birth and then again after 24 hours. If they had done this for us, Tucker would have been diagnosed much sooner. Tell your OBGYN to put it into your birth plan.

Here is some food for thought: The painful heel prick test that's standard for ALL newborns, checks for Phenylketonuria, affecting 1 out of 10,000 babies. Congenital Heart Defects are more lethal and afflict 1 out of every 100 babies, yet the simple, non-invasive, non-painful diagnostic tool, the Pulse Oximeter, which can help detect many CHDs, lies unused in the nursery.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Blood Drive today, we had a great turnout!

With love & Heart Hugs!

Trent, Dena, & Tucker

CHD Awareness Week - Day 4!

7 BITS OF ADVICE FOR CHD PARENTS

1.  Ask for help!  It is hard to ask people to help you, but it is absolutely necessary. This and the next one were the hardest for me & Dena. It goes against everything we are taught to ask for help, it shows weakness, etc. There are thousands of excuses, but you can't do it alone! 

2.  Accept help that is offered!  People want to help and it is okay to take them up on the offer. In situations like this, people feel like they need to do something for you, let them! Whether you let someone bring you dinner, let them clean your house, let them do your laundry, let them give you money, or simply let them pray for you...accept it gracefully and humbly. They will appreciate and you will feel better!

3.  Join a support group.  You can do this only when you are ready. Some are ready before others, we wanted the support and friendship immediately. Amazing Little Hearts is a great support group in the Dallas area, you can send me a message for more information!

4.  Ask questions!  Ask lots and lots of questions. Make sure that you understand what is happening with your child. This is one of those times where there are NO stupid questions! If you need a doctor to draw pictures for you...ask, if you need a nurse to re-explain something...ask, whatever the question, miscommunication, or misunderstanding, asking a question can usually solve the problem.

5.  Speak up!  You know your child best. Sometimes you have to follow your gut and speak up. Doctors play a huge role in our children's lives, but they don't know everything. If something doesn't seem right to you or someone is not listening to you...SPEAK UP! If they won't listen, find someone who will!

6.  Appreciate your doctors, nurses, etc.  They are taking good care of your kids. They want what is best for your kids. Remember that they are people too, they have bad days, they make mistakes, they have real lives outside of the hospital or office. Make sure you tell them thank you, send them a card, tell their supervisor how good they are, be patient!

7.  Appreciate each and every day with your little one!  Some parents are not as lucky and don't get to have their kids with them, if you are in the CHD community, you know this is true! We all have friends who have lost their angels, so don't let the little things make you lose sight of what is most important! It is especially important to remember this when things get tough!

I want to leave you with another CHD poem:

Somewhere…someplace… today…
A family is waiting to hear…
Is something wrong with their baby?
The answers aren’t quite clear…
This family has entered an unwanted world…
And they just don’t know what to expect…
Somewhere…someplace… today
They first heard the words: heart defect.
And how they hoped this was not true…
And thought… this cannot be…
I too… know just how this feels…
For one day…this was me.

Somewhere…someplace…today…
A man and a woman embrace…
Their baby is in surgery…
They long to see her face…
They haven’t got to hold her yet…
Without…a cord or line…
They pace the room awaiting news…
And hope she’ll be just fine.
Prayers fill this busy waiting room…
And mom and dad are scared…
Somewhere…someplace..today…
The tiniest hearts are repaired.

Somewhere…someplace…today…
A child’s growing fast…
Smiling,laughing,thriving…
His mom thinks…can this last?
It’s almost easy…to forget…
That anything is wrong…
Somewhere…someplace..today…
Her child seems so strong.

Somewhere…someplace… today…
A little boy fights…just to live
A father holds his tiny hand…
His love…all he can give…
The doctor’s are all baffled…
They fear that he might die…
Somewhere…someplace…today…
A family says goodbye…

Somewhere…someplace…each year..
More than 40,000 families will see…
What it means…when something’s wrong…
They’ll face a CHD.
Today…for just a moment…
Stop…remember…reflect…
Make time to tell someone you know…
“I’ve been changed by a heart defect”.

Author - Stephanie Husted

With Love & Heart Hugs!

Trent, Dena, & Tucker

CHD Awareness Week - Day 3!

7 Ways You Can Help Fight CHDs

1. Donate Blood - Any time! Almost all CHD warriors need blood or blood products at some point during their treatment, most need it multiple times. Find out ways to donate with Carter Blood Care. Or donate on Feb 12, 2011 at Medical City Children's Hospital from 10:00am - 4pm! Amazing Little Hearts will be there, join us! Many people donated blood for Tucker when he was in the hospital the first time, but this is needed constantly, so donate blood as often as they will let you!
2. Donate Money - Research for CHDs is severely lacking, but the group doing the most for our kids is the Children's Heart Foundation. You can get more information about the Children's Heart Foundation and make a donation at www.childrensheartfoundation.org.  You can also donate to two local organizations that are doing great things for local CHD kids:  Amazing Little Hearts and the Chloe Duyck Memorial Fund
3. Support A Group - like Amazing Little Hearts! Amazing Little Hearts CHD support group works very hard to take care of our CHD families and kids we do many things throughout the year, like providing necessities and meals to families who are on a prolonged hospital stay and donating toys for the kids to play with while in the hospital. Find out more information about how you can support ALH at: www.amazinglittlehearts.com.
4. Become an Organ Donor - Check your driver's license. Is Organ donation noted? If not, sign up here. Click on 'Becoming a Donor'.
5. Educate Others - Tell everyone you know about CHDs and share our story and others' stories.  CHDs are devestating, yet many people don't know about them.  If you are expecting or know someone who is expecting, get the baby's blood oxygen levels checked immediately after birth and again after 24 hours.
6. Support CHD Families - If you are reading this, then you obviously play a role in supporting us and Tucker. You can find links to other CHD families in our "Resources" section. Make sure you leave us a message in the Guestbook when you visit, encouraging words are always great!
7. Find Another Cause - While CHD research and awareness are very important to us, there are many other noble causes out there. If there is another cause that is near and dear to your heart, support it!

Thanks for visiting us this week and thank you for helping us spread awareness for CHDs.  If you can possibly make it out to donate blood on Saturday, we would REALLY appreciate it!

With love & Heart Hugs!

Trent, Dena, & Tucker

CHD Awareness Week/Month

One of the most important weeks of the year for us is quickly approaching!  February is CHD Awareness Month and February 7th-14th is CHD Awareness Week.

Since Tucker is Heart Warrior and CHD Survivor, this week has become a huge part of our lives.  We want to do everything that we can to help other CHD families and to spread awareness about CHD's so that maybe others won't have to experience the things that we have some day!

During CHD Awareness Week, I will be posting a new update each day with facts and important information about CHD's.  You can help us spread awareness, help us prevent these problems from happening to others, and help us raise money for research by sharing this information and/or linking people with this site and others or by attending the following events.

Here is a list of upcoming events:

Monday, February 7 @ 6:30 pm - Dinner at Durkin's in Allen, TX - A portion of all money made at Durkin's this night will go to our support group, Amazing Little Hearts, and will be used to bless other heart families that are in the hospital.  Durkin's Pizza is officially in Allen, but it is probably more like Frisco/McKinney.  The address is 8930 Hwy 121 in Allen and is at the intersection of 121 and Custer on the North side. Join us for dinner and help support the cause and raise awareness!!!
 
Saturday, February 12 @ 10 am - 4 pm - Blood Drive at Medical City Children's Hospital, Dallas - Almost all of the heart families use blood products at some point in their treatment.  Donated blood supplies are always depleted and this is one of the easiest way that you can support Tucker and the cause.  Come out and donate, see the new Children's Tower, and see some of our Heart Warriors!

Monday, February 7 - Saturday, February 14 - CHD Awareness Updates - These updates will be taking place on this site and all of our friends' sites.  Please help us spread the word and link people to the sites!

There may be other events that come up, if so, I will update as the information becomes available.

Wanna know how you can get involved?  The BEST way to help us this week and to spread awareness is to share the information that we will be providing...anyway you can!  Post it on Facebook, post it on Twitter, send it in an email, tell a coworker, friend or family member what a CHD is, how common they are, and how they can be prevented.  The more people who know about CHD's, the more lives we can save!

If you have any questions or need more specific information about CHD's, Tucker's defect, how you can help, where you can donate, etc., don't hesitate to leave us a message here, email us, or call.

With love & Heart Hugs!

~Trent