Hope for Raelyn


At 20 weeks gestation Dan and Ashleigh received the devastating news that their daughter and my niece, Raelyn, has a severe congenital heart defect. They have spent the last 4 months traveling to Columbia hospital preparing for what will be the fight for Raelyn’s life. With finding the best care comes with the unexpected expense or traveling, tolls, parking, housing, medical bills, .. the list goes on. Within the next two weeks they will be welcoming their daughter into the world through a planned induction. Congenital heart defects do not discriminate and do not come with explanations as to why your child is born with one. Raelyn suffers from pulmonary atresia, tricuspid regurgitation of the right ventricle, malformation of the right ventricle and several VSD. Her path of treatment is unknown, scary, long and emotionally tolling. No baby should ever have to endure open heart surgeries, waiting on a list for a heart transplant, or spending an indefinite amount of time in a NICU hooked up to tubes, ventilators and machines that do the job of the heart so their tiny ones can rest and try to heal. 1 in every 100 babies are born with a heart defect , this is something that deserves to have attention, awareness and research. And the parents of these heart warriors need help as this is an extremely taxing time emotionally, physically and financially. I hope you'll consider contributing as a way to help them give the best care to their daughter.  Every little bit will help, all donations are extremely appreciated and I know they would be forever grateful.