We're truly grateful for your visit to our team page! We are walking for our incredible twin daughters, Palmer and Emmy, both born with CHDs. Emmy is a heart warrior and underwent open heart surgery at 7mo. More about our CHD journey is below, but we hope you will join us on October 31 to walk or consider donating to this cause which is so important to our family!

We found out we were pregnant with identical twin girls in late 2024, due in August of 2025. During our pregnancy we discovered that Emmy had a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) which is the second most common congenital heart defect. A VSD is a hole between the left and right ventricles. Most commonly, VSDs are small and heal on their own without intervention. Throughout the pregnancy, were told Emmy’s VSD was measuring small and was something that would heal on its own, but she would receive an echocardiogram after birth.

Emmy and her twin sister Palmer were born early at 35 weeks on June 29. They spent time in the NICU where they received feeding assistance and were on feeding tubes. While in the NICU, we discovered that both girls had congenital heart defects. Palmer was diagnosed with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve, which is the most common congenital heart defect. Fortunately, it will require monitoring but most likely never need intervention. It was in the NICU that we also discovered that Emmy’s VSD was actually large and would require repair via open heart surgery when she was big enough.

Due to the size of the VSD, Emmy had significant trouble feeding. The VSD made her tired and unable to finish her bottles. She stayed in the NICU for 7 weeks until she was discharged. During her time in the NICU, Emmy suffered a Grade 2 Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH), which is essentially a brain bleed. This caused further neurological and developmental concerns; however, the doctors were optimistic that the Grade 2 diagnosis would mean no long-term damage.

We were thrilled to finally be able to bring Emmy home after 49 days and reunite her with Palmer; however, we were unfortunately back in the hospital the next day after she experienced an unexplained breathing event. We left the hospital after 5 days with a feeding tube and medications for her heart and seizure prevention. Over the next several months, we were closely monitored by cardiology while Emmy continued to grow at home, receiving feeds through her feeding tube. She also received weekly speech therapy and physical therapy to help with her feeding and gross motor skills.

We received multiple opinions from various cardiologists but ultimately decided that we would do Emmy’s surgery when she was 7 months old with Dr. Charles Fraser at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin. Emmy’s surgery lasted 5 hours and she was put on bypass so that Dr. Fraser could repair the VSD. The surgery was a success, and Emmy’s heart is now fully repaired, with no future intervention necessary. We spent 4 nights in the CCU, and then Emmy was discharged and able to finish her recovery at home.

We are so happy to say that Emmy is now a healthy 14 month old! She is eating on her own, taking her first steps and "talking" endlessly (favorite word is “Da” aka Dog!). She is off all medications, cleared by cardiology and neurology and is graduated from speech and physical therapy. We are so proud of everything she has overcome in her first year of life! We can't wait to see Palmer and Emmy take on the world!