On Friday June 7th Emily and Ryan found out their baby girl (Romee) has hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). HLHS is a rare congenital heart defect (CHD) that impacts 1 in about 4000 live births. To help with the perspective that is roughly 3900 babies a year out of the 3.7 million babies born each year.

Essentially the left side of her heart is severely underdeveloped or did not develop at all. The left side of the heart pumps blood to the body while the right sends blood to the lungs. Romee will need to undergo three surgeries to reconstruct her heart so that the right side does everything. The first surgery will occur within her first week of life. The second surgery will take place at around 4 months of age and the final surgery at approximately 3 years old.

The care needed for Romee is going to be extensive. Emily and Ryan would be the last to request help in this way. They are not asking, we are providing.

Any contribution no matter how small will help alleviate the financial burden allowing them to focus on Romee’s health while also caring for their son, Rhodes.

If you would like to follow along on Romee’s journey, below is a link to her CaringBridge page: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/romeewhatley

#HLHS