This is my third year running with Team Superstars and I couldn't be more thrilled. For those of you who have supported me along the way, let me share a huge THANK YOU.
The encouraging words and financial support mean so much. I'm also excited to say that my involvement with Children's has grown over these years as I now sit on the Children's Council Executive Committee and the Fetal Initiative Steering committee. As you know, ensuring kids all over the upper mid-west have access to world class health care and unrivaled physical and emotional support is a big deal to me.
Thank you for your support. If you don't know me or Abigail's story please read below.
My name is Andy Gorski. I am a father, donor, fundraiser and charity runner for Children’s Team. This is my third year running with Children's and I am privileged to share my inspiration—my daughter Abigail’s story—with you. Thanks to the care provided by Children’s, I have my daughter today. She is the reason why I run. Children’s is the reason why I give.
Before she had a name, she had a diagnosis. An aortic coarctation. It's hard to believe that six months before Abigail was even born, she had a hospital record, but that's how her story begins.
It started as a question in a measurement. A difference in the size of her heart chambers no wider than a piece of paper. A heart the size of a pen tip.
Weeks went by as she grew. More appointments. More ultrasounds. More questions than answers. Before we knew it, we had the route to Children's in St. Paul memorized and our favorite spot in the red ramp picked out. We got all too comfortable reading echocardiograms and ultrasounds. The gentle whoosh whoosh sounds of her tiny heart became the sound track of our visits, reminding us our little girl was still growing strong.
The day Abigail was born, the delivery room was abuzz with activity. There were a few anxious moments, but she was doing well. Her first five days were spent in the NICU. She had one-on-one attention around the clock from the best nurses. Handmade blankets. Donated books. Extra cuddles and late-night rocking from amazing volunteers. With the world spinning around us, that little room was all we knew. And the group at Children's was incredible.
Fast forward three months and we were prepping for Abigail's surgery. It was time to fix her narrow aorta. The pre-op appointment was intense, but the team at Children's left no stone unturned. No question unanswered. Even as we sat there dazed, they shared the information we needed to know, prepared us for what we would see and set expectations for the first 12 hours post-surgery.
Surgery day was hands-down the most difficult day of my life to date. Handing off that little girl. We stepped into a full waiting room. The receptionist offered us an empty auxiliary room. We mindlessly watched two hours of Cash Cab. Then it was done. The procedure itself took 45 seconds. We headed to the PICU. There was our girl. A tiny spec on a full-size hospital bed. A tube in her side and a pump breathing for her. It was almost too much to process, but the families around us put it in perspective. The team at the hospital found us a room we could sleep in near our little girl. We watched other families head home at night or sleep in chairs. We felt lucky—we were only there for a handful of days.
This year marks nine years since that first appointment. Abigail’s annual checkups are more routine now. While it's easy to look at her and forget that any of this ever happened, it's important to remember that it did. As difficult as it was for us, our road was easy by comparison. There are many families who get the same news we did every day. The Children's community is there with cutting edge technology, incredible service and thoughtful support. I want to make sure everyone has the same experience we had. It's why we give to Children's.
Your support helps Children’s provide incredible care—every day, to kids like my daughter.
Thank you.
