I’m Heather, and I’m creating this fundraiser for my family as we walk through a season we never expected. About three months ago, our newborn daughter was diagnosed with a VSD(a hole in her heart under the valve that pumps blood into her body) that did not heal on its own, and since then we have learned it is a slight TOF(tetralogy of fallot which is 4 issues at the same time-see below for more info). We live in a rural area, so even routine care means a lot of travel: weekly doctor appointments are an hour away, and cardiology visits are two hours away. We are now preparing for a stay in Denver near Children’s Hospital for her surgery and recovery, and Denver is 14 hours from home for us. We know there will be many follow-up trips afterward with long drives for continued care. At the same time, our son has started his first year of school, and we are trying hard to make sure he does not miss out on important opportunities because so much of our focus has had to go toward his sister.

On top of that, our daughter had allergic reactions to regular formula and now needs a special fortified formula that is extremely expensive. We are also going through diapers quickly, and the medical bills are continuing over time on a monthly payment plan. My husband was also out of work for 3.5 weeks because severe bone spurs on his spine left him unable to walk, which led to a five-night ER stay and an ambulance transfer between hospitals. This has become more than one emergency or one hard week. Support will help with the ongoing needs that keep coming: travel, hotel stays during surgery, missed work, formula, diapers, school fees, and doctor bills over the months ahead. It’s not that I never wanted to be the person asking for money, more that I never thought I’d have to. But life has a funny way of teaching you when it’s okay to ask for help. If you’re able to give, whether as a one-time donation or recurring support, it would help us keep up with these continuing costs and focus on getting our daughter through surgery and recovery. Thank you for caring for our family.

Semi understandable definition ❤️

Tetralogy of Fallot is 4 abnormalities happening at the same time...

Ventricular septal defect (VSD): A hole in the wall between the heart's two lower chambers (Sohpia's is Severe)

Pulmonary stenosis: A narrowing of the pulmonary valve and the passage leading to the lungs. (Sohpia's is Mild)

Overriding aorta: The main artery carrying blood to the body is shifted to sit directly over the VSD instead of just the left ventricle.(Sohpia's is Slight)

Right ventricular hypertrophy: The muscular wall of the lower right chamber becomes thickened from working too hard.(Sohpia's is moderate)

the last time we had measurements her Hole was 6-7mm big and the valve was 8mm. So the hole keeping excess blood in her lungs and heart is *basically* the same size as the valve pumping blood into her body.