This is just part of our story....

It was 3 years ago this month that we conceived Liam and our journey as "heart parents" began. Our heart baby is a feisty, strong-willed, witty, smart, funny, tender-hearted, cautious yet very precocious two year old, who will be a big brother in just a few weeks. To us he is absolutely perfect!  Those three little words "congenital heart defect" are part of our story and will be forever. Would I change that? No because that would mean I wouldn't have my miracle baby, my terrible two-year-old, my sweet little snuggle bunny. We all have a story and this is ours. We are choosing to embrace it and to share it. You can click here to read Liam's story. Through hearing Liam's story I would hope to be able to raise awareness about Congenital Heart Defects. 


Congenital Heart Disease is considered to be the most common birth defect, affecting roughly 1 in 100 births or 40,000 newborns annually. CHD is also the leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide. There are 35 defined types of CHD, and in most cases, doctors cannot point to any one genetic or environmental factor that would cause the disease. The Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania defines congenital birth defects as follows:
A congenital heart defect (CHD) is a heart problem which is present at birth, caused by improper development of the heart during fetal development. In the majority of the instances when a baby is born with congenital heart disease, there is no known reason for the heart to have formed improperly. Scientists know that some types of congenital heart defects can be related to an abnormality of an infant's chromosomes (5 to 6 percent), single gene defects (3 to 5 percent), or environmental factors (2 percent). In 85 to 90 percent of cases, there is no identifiable cause for the heart defect, and they are generally considered to be caused by multifactorial inheritance.

Multifactorial inheritance means that "many factors" (multifactorial) are involved in causing a birth defect. The factors are usually both genetic and environmental, where a combination of genes from both parents, in addition to unknown environmental factors, produce the trait or condition.

For more on causes of CHD, visit http://www.chop.edu/healthinfo/factors-contributing-to-congenital-heart-disease.html
Congenital heart defects may be serious or minor; each case is unique. Although CHD is responsible for nearly 20% of all birth defect-related deaths, a diagnosis of CHD is not necessarily a death sentence. It is, however, an ongoing condition, requiring medical attention throughout the patient's life. Many heart defects can be corrected or helped with surgery, medicine, or devices, such as artificial valves and pacemakers. Even facing these trials, it is absolutely possible for a child with CHD to lead a healthy, near-normal life.


Here are some easy ways you can help support CHD Awareness Week:


~ Like the CHD Awareness Week 2011 (Official) page on Facebook.
~ Donate financially.
~ Wear red for CHD Awareness Week and tell others why you are wearing it.
~ Donate blood.