Bright and early Saturday morning we got to enjoy the Heart Walk with the American Heart Association out at Burns Park. We were "Team Ava Jane" and enjoyed walking in her honor. It was amazing how many people were out there and not only that, but how many kids have CHD (Congenital Heart Defects) I talked to a Mom who has a 15 and 13 year old who both had pulmonary valves missing and each have had three open heart surgeries and are looking at having to have replacements every few years for the rest of their lives, their particular defects aren't supposed to be hereditary but both her kids have the same defects.
There were just so many families, walking for their loved ones, truly, so many people are effected!
The Heart Walk was a 3 mile route that took us beside the Arkansas River, it was beautiful that morning!
The 3 miles got the best of this little guy...thankfully he has a good Daddy to carry him in!
As we've learned more about Ava Jane's defect and researched more about it, its unbelievable how many people are effected by heart defects (and or heart diseases). Congenital heart disease refers to problems of the heart and major arteries that are present at birth. Those problems can relate to: heart structure, such as abnormal openings in heart walls, irregular heart rhythm, and heart muscle deterioration. While heart defect is the most common birth defect, affecting one in every 100 newborns, the chance of survival is high. Advances in interventional cardiology have played an important role in increased survival rates, and for that we are so grateful!
A baby's heart begins to develop at conception, but is completely formed by 8 weeks into the pregnancy. Congenital heart defects happen during these crucial first 8 weeks of the baby's development. Specific steps must take place in order for the heart to form correctly. Ava Jane had a defect (Coarctation of her aorta) that caused too little blood to travel to the rest of her body. This defect was a result of the narrowing in her aorta that prevented the proper amount of blood from traveling to her extremities to meet all her needs.
As we've heard stories and kept up with others who are dealing with multiple heart defects, we are just so grateful that God protected this sweet girl and saved us from experiencing "sorrow upon sorrow". One of the Doctors in our Pediatric Clinic has a daughter, who even in the past week has been struggling with her own heart defects, they are quite serious and they thought they might have lost her at one point, but I am happy to say that she is on the mend today and her parents have been living examples of walking by faith and not sight! If you'd like to read Brooklyn's story you can follow it here.
I loved walking in her honor!
Afterward they had fun bounce houses for the kids to enjoy, DJ's playing music and people dancing the YMCA...it was a fun morning!
Poor Ava Jane couldn't make it the whole time, she passed out in Daddy's arms!
We also took the boys fishing out at Maumelle Park. We had a picnic with G-Dad and Gigi and just enjoyed the wonderful Spring time weather!
Emerson wants to be a big boy like his brothers..."I can do it...I can do it!"
Peyton caught 4 of these little Brim...he thought it was awesome!
G-Dad helping Lawson
And it wouldn't be a good outing with the kids if no one got hurt...poor Emerson bit the concrete really hard! He is so tough though!
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