1 in 110 babies are born with a congenital heart defect. There are over 35 different diagnoses! That means that a lot of moms across the country find themselves in this exact scenario:

My husband and I were thrilled after we found out we were expecting our third daughter. At our ultrasound, her anatomy was pronounced “perfect” and we got ready to meet our newest daughter in a few months. We never imagined that she was really suffering from a severe heart defect. It wasn’t detected in the ultrasound and as a result, she stopped breathing 18 hours after birth. We were minutes away from losing her forever. Thankfully, after three open heart surgeries at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in her first three months of life, she is alive and thriving today. But she is not cured. Her future is unknown and we are currently researching options to help her continue to grow.

Before Jemma, we had never heard of a heart defect. Before this experience, we didn’t even think it was possible for a human to exist without their entire heart. But now we wake up each morning and kiss our miracle child, grateful just to have her in our life for another day.

You can read her entire story at her jemmasophia.com. Thank you for reading our story and help us raise awareness!