Every expecting parent prays for a healthy baby, never expecting to get the news that something is wrong. At Sadie’s 24-week ultrasound, an atrial septal defect (ASD) was seen in the heart, but there were no concerns, and the pediatrician would evaluate once she was born.

Once born, supposedly everything was good as far as no murmurs while in the hospital. A day after discharge, at the pediatrician, a large murmur was heard. Fast forward 2-3 weeks, and there we sat at Royal Oak Pediatric Cardiology receiving news we didn’t want.

Sadie, yes, has a small ASD, but the issue is her VSD that was found. VSD stands for Ventricular Septal Defect. VSD is a congenital heart defect; there is no known cause, and VSD is one of the most common congenital heart defects, affecting every 3-4 children out of 1,000.

Unfortunately, Sadie also began to exhibit heart failure symptoms such as shortness of breath with feedings and even just laying there, lethargy, and poor weight gain. Her heart has become enlarged as the months go on, and she’s behind with milestones such as holding her head up because she is so weak. She also has hepatomegaly, which isn’t uncommon with congenital defects. Babies with congenital defects also face the risk of neurodevelopment issues, which is why it is crucial for her to meet her calories per day and gain weight.

Now, Miss Sadie faces open-heart surgery on January 20. She will be at UofM for a week with one of the best surgeons. We have been blessed enough to have her accepted by Children’s Special Health Care Services. This is an insurance that she qualifies for that will help us with all bills related to her condition, past, present, and future. This is a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. Unfortunately, I have to go back on leave at work for 6 weeks. Being that I just got off maternity leave in November, funds are extremely tight. I am unable to obtain FMLA because it was used with maternity, and obviously, I can’t get short-term disability for her, so the 6 weeks are without pay. Steve is working to the extreme, thankfully, but with only one income and another child to take care of, help is definitely needed. We are not people to ever ask for help and feel awful even doing it now, but we feel backed against a wall with me not getting paid when I go out.

We understand times are tough for everyone, but if you are able to donate, we would be eternally grateful. Every little bit will help. We thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts.