My Badges

  • Team Fundraising Leader
    Team Fundraising Leader

    Awarded when a Team Member raises the most funds for their team

    Awarded 02/07/2025

  • Welcome Back
    Welcome Back

    Awarded when Anyone is a returning participant

    Awarded 02/07/2025

  • New Fundraising Record
    New Fundraising Record

    Awarded when Anyone raises more funds than during their last campaign

    Awarded 02/07/2025

  • New Donor Record
    New Donor Record

    Awarded when Anyone gets more donations than during their last campaign

    Awarded 02/07/2025

  • Top Fundraiser
    Top Fundraiser

    Awarded when Anyone raises the most funds

    Awarded 02/08/2025

  • Most Donors
    Most Donors

    Awarded when Anyone gets the highest number of donations

    Awarded 02/08/2025

View All Event Badges

In Loving Memory of Our Little Heart Warriors

Cooper Charles & Little Brother

Our Story

Austin and my journey into parenthood started out so hopeful and innocent - filled with dreams of adventure, love, and a lifetime of memories to make. When our first son, Cooper, was diagnosed with a severe congenital heart defect (CHD), we braced ourselves for the challenges ahead, believing in his strength and the medical care that could give him a future. He was born in October 2023, and he was truly perfect in every way. For five beautiful weeks, we soaked in every snuggle, every little noise he made, every moment as a family. But despite the best medical efforts, Cooper’s heart could not be repaired. After six agonizing days of fighting for his life, we had to live every parent's worst nightmare—we held him close, kissed his perfect face, and cried as we said goodbye.

Months later, we were cautiously hopeful when we learned we were expecting another baby boy—Cooper’s Little Brother. We did everything we could to ensure a different outcome, but at our 20-week ultrasound, our worst fears became reality: another devastating heart defect, this one even more complex than the first. With limited options and unbearable suffering ahead for our baby, we made the impossible decision to let him go, choosing love over pain. Losing not one but two children to CHD is a heartbreak no parent should endure, and yet, CHD remains the most common birth defect, taking too many young lives.

That is why this cause means so much to us. CHD research has come so far, yet there is still so much we don’t understand—why these defects happen, how to improve surgical outcomes, and how to give children like Cooper and Little Brother a chance to come into this world without the suffering they were forced to endure. By supporting the Children’s Heart Foundation, you are helping fund critical research that can change the future for babies born with CHD. We carry our sons in our hearts every day, and in their memory, we fight for a world where fewer families have to experience this kind of loss. Thank you for your contributions.

A Video of Our Sweet Cooper

Resume Slideshow

A Picture of Our Sweet Little Brother
A Picture of Our Sweet Little Brother

Resume Slideshow

$1,055.39

achieved

$5,000.00

goal

of your goal reached

0

days

0

hours

0

mins

0

secs

Visit My Store Join My Team

My Supporters

  • Marie & Tim Little 2 weeks ago
  • Amber Walsh 3 weeks ago $31.05
  • Emily Fisher Last month
  • Tamie Rodgers In memory of Cooper and Little Brother Last month $500.00
  • Amber Walsh I love you all so much. Last month $31.05
  • Tamie Rodgers In memory of Cooper and Little Brother Last month $500.00
  • Amber Walsh 3 weeks ago $31.05
  • Amber Walsh I love you all so much. Last month $31.05

My Teammates