Alice Dorothy Menze was born with a critical congenital heart defect (CHD) called Truncus Arteriosus on April 1, 2022, a tiny but mighty 4 lbs 3 oz. Over the course of the next 2.5 weeks, Alice survived several scares, and on April 19, 2022, she underwent the most complex level of open heart surgery that the hospital performs. While her heart repair itself was considered successful, she spent the next 3 weeks overcoming many obstacles and setbacks following complications from the surgery, and on May 10, 2022, Alice passed away in the loving embrace of her parents, who were comforted knowing that Alice had put up an amazing fight and had defied many odds to spend as much time with them as she did.
Despite 40 days of intense treatments, being poked and prodded constantly for her various leads and lines, Alice also received an enormous amount of love in her too short life. Her parents spent almost every waking minute, in addition to every single night with her in her hospital room, and she was able to meet her proud 2 year old big brother, Clifford, as well as her grandparents, 1 great-aunt, 5 aunts, 1 uncle, and her cousin, Owen, who shares a birthday with her, born only about 90 minutes after Alice. Alice won the admiration of the providers and staff of the CCU, and had the support of a vast network of family and friends who were rooting for her. While her time on Earth was limited, Alice’s spirit and legacy will live on through the actions of her family and friends to advocate for CHD research and awareness.
Every 15 minutes in the United States, a baby is born with a congenital heart defect, making CHDs the most common birth defect in our country. The Congenital Heart Walk is dedicated to making a difference. Our mission is clear - we aim to raise funds to support The Children's Heart Foundation in its quest to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CHDs by funding groundbreaking research.
We invite you to join us in this mission. By supporting our team or even walking with us, you're contributing to research that can save and enhance the lives of infants born with CHDs, as well as children and adults living with these conditions. Your support makes a significant impact, and for that, we want to say a heartfelt thank you.
Will you join us in making a real difference? Please consider supporting our team or walking with us. Every step we take brings us closer to improving the lives of those affected by congenital heart defects.