Charlotte reminded us last night that it is exactly 6 years since her third surgery. So, in honor of her strength and without further ado, my post from February 24, 2015:
“Charlotte’s Story: The Road to a Healthy Heart”
Sometimes I’m so proud of my kiddo, I could just burst. This is one of those moments. She was asked earlier this month (February 2015) if she would contribute a blog post to “Life Inside Lurie Children’s: The Official Blog of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital.” Despite the month she knew she had planned, she said yes. And she said it without hesitation. We talked a lot about what she’d write, but she didn’t start drafting it until February 14, just 3 days after her surgery. She dictated it to me.
So without further, ado, I invite you to follow the link below to read Charlotte’s Story: The Road to a Healthy Heart. Or, read it below:
*Bonus for reading to the end—there’s a video and you can hear more about our Lurie Children’s experience.
February 23, 2015
Charlotte, age 9, underwent her third open-heart surgery at Lurie Children’s just days ago. She shares her story below in honor of American Heart Month.
Hi. My name is Charlotte, and I’ve been a patient at Lurie Children’s since I was 12 hours old. In January 2005, I was diagnosed when my mom was pregnant with me with a congenital heart defect called truncus arteriosus. I was supposed to be born in June, but I arrived a little bit early, on May 9. I’ve been going to Lurie Children’s for follow-ups my whole life. Continue reading