Madeline

Madeline came into the world with a planned C-section as she was a breech baby who just didn't want to turn. We could hardly believe how beautiful she was—and is. At just 5 pounds and 15 ounces, she was a little peanut, but what a loud scream!!

We found out about her CHD when she had a blue spell while breastfeeding, and she was in the NICU from that point on—but luckily she was able to come home with us when I was released.

As anyone with a child with a CHD knows, fear enveloped my husband and I in the hospital, and we cried often, but we knew we needed to be strong for her.

Now, a month and a half later, I find it hard to believe she has a CHD—we are so lucky because she is gaining weight so well and as of yet, is not showing any symptoms. She is just our beautiful, happy little girl, and we couldn't be more thrilled or feel more blessed.

Right now, we are scared, of course, to start seeing symptoms, but we are determined to get her through the surgery and help her get on with her happy, active life. She truly is the best thing to ever happen to us!

July 2005 Update

Though our little trooper, Maddie, is still thriving, her cardiologists (Dr. Brown and Dr. Frommelt at CH in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) decided to do her open heart surgery when she is 4 months old - to hopefully mend her heart before she starts showing any symptoms. Therefore, we'll head to the hospital on July 11th, 2005 to get Maddie's VSD and pulmonary stenosis taken care of. We are so proud of her up until this point—and can't wait to have her home with her heart healed!

August 2005 Update

Maddie had her surgery on July 12th and came through it, like everything else so far in her life, like a little trooper. I am amazed by her resilience and bravery. She was off the vent immediately after surgery, off of oxygen the following day, had her tubes pulled day three and was home on day five—with Lasix once a day for a week and a half at home. We couldn't have asked for better results and are SOOO very grateful for the wonderful doctors and nurses at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin - especially Dr. Tweddell, Dr. Brown and Dr. Frommelt—our heroes. On day three at 4:30 in the morning, she woke up, looked at me and grinned, and I knew we were all going to be okay. What a miracle she is—what a miracle all babies are.