Friday, February 18, 2011

My Heart Mom Friends that I am SO Blessed to have!

I got this idea from talking with one of my heart mom friends, Rhonda the other day so....Here goes:

When we were in the hospital in Columbia, we didn't know of anyone who had a child with a Congenital Heart Defect. Then we go to MUSC and meet some families who have children in PCICU. We met Sierra and Brent, whose son Montgomery was next to Lo in PCICU and Stacey and Jason, whose son RJ was also next to Lo in PCICU.

Then, while we were still at MUSC, Rebecca came into our lives. She was from the same town we live and she started Annabelle Baskets after her daughter, Annabelle, passed away from a CHD. Rebecca and her family have been great to us and I am so glad to call her my friend!

We got involved with Palmetto Hearts while at MUSC and met some great people through them too! Sara (founder of PH), whose son, Kaden, has a CHD became one of Lo's first heart friends. We also met Wendy and Jeff (Luci) through PH's family program that puts you with another family that has the same or a similar defect. We love Miss Luci! When we went to the first Heart Walk after Lo was born we met Abbie (Elijah) and Rhonda (Zeb) who have become great friends as well. When I first saw Rhonda at the Heart Walk I instantly felt like I knew her.

I met Mandy when she came into the pharmacy where I work and got a prescription for Evie. I couldn't believe that He was showing me families that I needed to be friends with. I was so happy to be finding all of these people who I could talk to, who had similar experiences.

Shannon, I have known for a long time. We used to work together then she moved to VA with her husband so he could finish up school and then when I found out she and Justin were having a child with a CHD I had to get in touch with her. Derrick is the cutest little thing there ever was and I am so happy to be a part of their lives.

Shannon, Abbie, Rhonda, Elizabeth (an adult CHD survivor) and I have started Hope for BraveHEARTS so that we could help fund research to help other families in our situation and maybe someday there will be a cure!!!! I know that we are here for any other family that needs to vent, needs advice or just needs someone to listen. We all are a family, a CHD family!

I have also read some blogs and continue to read blogs so that I can connect to other families out there who are CHD survivors and parents of CHD Warriors and Angels. Just this month I have connected to several people on facebook that are a part of the CHD family!

I have also met several Mom's and Survivors on Facebook and through reading other blogs. I am looking forward to get to know them better too!

I am also glad that Lorelei will have some friends who have been through what she has been through so she won't ever feel alone in the CHD world. It's awesome that we have all met and can talk and appreciate what we have all been through, some of us worse then others. When we first had Lo, I don't know about John, but I know I felt so alone and didn't know where to turn. I now know many Momma's and Daddy's that I can turn to in a minute if I needed them! I am Blessed to call them my Friends!

4 comments:

The B Family said...

God is so good! You are a blessing and gift to me, too!

I cannot imagine my life without you amazing heart mommas!

RHONDA said...

OK..now I am crying, because their is nothing that means so much but to have my heart moma friends, especially you. It is wonderful to have someone who understands when I stay up all night just to see if he is breathing. I love it that our children are friends and that they will grow up together. You are a blessing to me Jess..
Love ya
Rhonda :)

~Sara~ said...

I am just catching up on blog reading! You are just precious and I am blessed to know you, John, and your sweet little girl!

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