Our Heart Angel, Savannah's Story
At our 20 week ultrasound in August of 2019, we found out our first born had a congenital heart defect. The defect known as an AV canal, is a heart defect that involves the valves between the heart's upper and lower chambers and the walls between the chambers. Overall, it is quite rare and accounts for 4% of heart defects diagnosed in children.
Our sweet baby, Savannah Rose, was born on December 23, 2019 and thrived beautifully at home for 7 months. Easily the most smiley and giggly baby you had ever met. On August 5, 2020, Savannah had open heart surgery to repair her severe valve regurgitation, holes in her heart and translocate a vein. Less than 24 hours after her surgery was complete, she went into cardiac arrest and our nightmare began. After about 5 weeks on various levels of life support, it was clear Savannah’s heart could no longer support her. She was in end stage heart failure and she would need a heart transplant. She remained on full life support for 5 and a half more months waiting for the perfect heart and sadly, it never came. She passed away, in our arms, at just 14 months old on February 22, 2021.
Although our little Heart Angel was on earth for only a brief time, she inspired so many with her strength and resilience. We will always cherish the days we had with her and our hope is that we can make her proud every day going forward as we fight to ensure no family in the future has to go through losing a child to a heart defect like we did.
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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. For three decades, CHF has been the driving force behind the treatments and surgical advances that have transformed survival rates and given countless children with CHD the chance to thrive.
The Congenital Heart Walk is dedicated to making this impact continue. Our mission is clear—we aim to raise funds to support The Children's Heart Foundation's quest to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CHDs by funding groundbreaking research that improves outcomes, reduces complications, and helps Heart Warriors live longer, healthier lives.
We invite you to join our team in honoring this legacy. By supporting our team or 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. Together, we're part of a 30-year story of hope—and we're writing the next chapter. 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 together celebrates how far we've come and funds the miracles still ahead.