Anya’s Care Bears

Fundraiser honoring Anya Antonina Zubek 

Why are we doing this? 
Going through this experience we’ve learned many things but most importantly we learned how important family is and having someone 
be there for you. During our two stays at Lurie Children’s we met many brave and strong kiddos who somehow managed to keep smiling and making the best of their situations. We were grateful we had the time to never leave Anya’s side but not every parent was able to do that so we wanted to do something special for the children in the CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care Unit) on behalf of Anya. I wish I could give them all a healthy heart but I can’t :( instead each child will receive a teddy bear they can hold tightly at night and go home with when they are able. There are currently 44 beds in this unit with children coming and going so our goal is to get as many bears as possible for the holidays plus extra for any new patients there after. Example of teddy bear below...we will have a variety of different bears made and individually wrapped. 

Fundraiser timeframe 10/17-11/7.  

If you donate a minimum of $50 you will earn a T-shirt honoring Anya, photo below. If you would like a T-shirt, please make sure to email me your address and T-shirt size, they are unisex. Shirts will be delivered 6-8 weeks after fundraiser is over. 
Email: [email redacted] If you do decide on getting a shirt, we ask of one small favor. Please take it with you on vacations or fun journeys and take a photo in the shirt, share with us on Facebook or Instagram where you’ve taken Anya!! :) You can also join us next year (hopefully in person) on a CHD support walk!

What is CHD?
Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect in the United States, affecting nearly 1% (about 40,000) of births per year. CHDs are present at birth and they affect the structure of a baby’s heart and the way it works. About 1 in 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical CHD.4 Babies with a critical CHD need surgery or other procedures within the first year of life. - CDC

Anya’s Story!
At our 21w anatomy scan we found that we had a 2 vessel umbilical cord instead of a 3 vessel cord. In most cases, this doesn’t mean much and women go on to have healthy babies however it does lead to having a high risk ultrasound to confirm all is well. Our 21w ultrasound also showed a healthy heart. At 24w we had our first MFM ultrasound that showed an issue with the heart but we were not told what the issue was and were told to come back the next day for a cardiology appointment. Those 24hrs were the hardest as we did not know what we would find out next. As usual, the ultrasound took 30-45min while we stayed positive hoping for minimal news as we’ve had a pretty uneventful pregnancy as well as our first one. We knew something was really wrong when the cardiologist came back in with a piece of paper, ready to start drawing...she kept drawing and listing things wrong and the list went on! Anya was predicted to have a smaller left ventricle in addition to a few other things that complicated the situation. We were then told we could not deliver at our hospital and had to prepare to have her downtown so she could be next door to Lurie Children’s Hospital. Although we were upset about our situation, we were grateful that we were aware of it before birth and had a chance to mentally prepare ourselves. To think that many families are never aware until birth or until they got home is unimaginable! Please help us spread awareness and love!!