My name is Gabby, and my Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) is called Aortic Valve Stenosis. I am #1in100. I underwent my first open heart surgery at a year and a half old, and had my second open heart surgey at 21. The repair on my aortic valve, done in 2019, was successful due to the HAART 300, an annuloplasty device used to reshape and stabilize the aortic annulus so that the natural valve leaflets close properly, preventing blood from flowing in reverse through the aorta. I am the fourth person in Missouri, and 110th person in the United States, to have received this device. 

It is because of my team of doctors, my family and friends, CHD research, and the funding raised by The Children's Heart Foundation and other organizations that I have received the medical attention and support needed to be here today. Research for CHD is needed now more than ever as those in my generation with a CHD exceed expectations for life expectancy. Please consider donating to my fundraiser and help fund CHD research for generations to come.