M
egan is a thriving, creative, road trip loving 17-year-old, but she joined her family as a fighter. Her mother, Jennifer, learned Megan would be born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) – a congenital heart defect (CHD) that affects blood flow through the heart and results in the left side of a baby’s heart not forming correctly during pregnancy. “I was scared, but also fortunate to be able to meet with Megan’s surgeon while I was still pregnant. The doctor invited us to a picnic where I could meet parents and their children with CHDs. That was the most valuable gift that I could have been given. I learned that kids with CHDs can have active and happy lives and it gave me a community to share tears, experiences and questions with,” said Jennifer. Seventeen years and four surgeries later – the first when she was only three days old – Megan is now a typical teenager who loves art, science and taking road trips. “Many kids that have a CHD will tell you the same thing. We don’t see this condition as a challenge, because it’s a strength, and it is our normal,” Megan said. Megan’s favorite quote is from Harper Lee: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it.” She dreams of working with youth to combat depression and mental health issues, adopting three children and giving back to the CHD camp that helped her when she was struggling. Although Megan’s CHD HLHS is still rare, heart defects are the number one birth defect of babies. One in 100 babies will experience a CHD of some type.
Although the rate of Congenital Heart Defects has not decreased over time, more infants with heart defects are surviving to adulthood because of advancements made through research and technology. The American Heart Association is working hard every day to fund research right here in the Greater New Orleans area that helps to save lives through advanced systems of care, medicines, treatment and prevention.
Join the fight and support heart survivors like Megan. Join Megan and Jennifer on National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 1. Wear red to show your support to combat CHDs and to defeat heart disease, which takes more lives than all cancers combined. Together we can show our support and take a stand to raise awareness.
Special Thanks to Photography by Krystin, with KKD Photography for donating her time & talent for the photo shoot! www.kkdphotographynola.com 504.982.1231
