Our youngest daughter, Brooklyn, was born in October 2013, with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. For nearly 10 years she has courageously fought the battle that comes with being born with half a functioning heart. The three open-heart surgeries she endured along with countless other procedures through the years have all been thanks to amazing medical staff and amazing research continually being done on behalf of warriors like her. Today she continues to endure the effects of her heart defect including advanced liver disease associated with her reconstructed heart and protein-losing enteropathy. At first glance, you would never know the battles she's fighting daily. She is a rising fourth grader with sweet friendships and a love for her family, our lab named Ellie, music, dancing and gymnastics. We are grateful for the ongoing research to help amazing kids like our Brooklyn! 

I am walking/hiking and raising money for the Children's Heart Foundation to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of congenital heart defects (CHDs), the most common birth defects in the world. Despite their prevalence, research is largely underfunded.  That's what my endurance training, and partnership with the Children's Heart Foundation is working to change!  Please consider supporting me in my efforts for one more heartbeat!