Normal. This word is strange because in my experience very few people truly have their path in life be considered normal. For Clara, her life was very early not normal. We were ecstatic to find out our little family was growing from three to four. Our normie missionary lives were shattered in the same instant with a long pause during the standard 20wk anatomy scan. The Dr. pointed to where Clara’s heart was and explained what she was seeing. We left that appointment with a manila folder containing a slip of paper with Claras gender and the doctors conclusion that we needed to leave Africa yesterday.

Four stressful, tearful, and uncertain days passed. Between the dozens of late night calls to try and find the doctors Clara needed and packing or saying goodbyes it felt like we would never have a normal life again.

We departed Kinshasa DRC on February 9. After a few appointments, it was recommended that we move east to find a pediatric hospital that specializes in heart conditions. So we landed near family and found a team willing to take her case. They were able to confirm that she was somehow operating with half a backwards heart with two holes and a few missing pieces.

Since her birth, Clara has been so resilient spending a little over a fifth of her life in the cardiac unit. She has had more blood work, X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans at her age than most do over their whole lives. Now at five months we are staring down her 5th procedure with more on the horizon.