Letter of Hope and Faith
I have a hero. She is brave, she is strong. She has gone through more than I will ever know. Yet, my hero's fears do not show. She is fearless, she is silent. I cannot imagine the things she underwent. She is young, she is sweet. She is my niece and she is my little hero. Are you aware that heart defects is the number one birth defect and kills twice as many children as childhood cancer? There isn't enough funding for children with heart defects. These children will require life-long care trying to offset their symptoms and conditions.
Do you believe in love at first site? I don't mean love as in meeting your "the one" but, love as in the unconditional kind, meant for anyone. I am a skeptic, I am a cynic, I am a realist. Up until September 20th, 2007, I did not believe.
I remember the day vividly. I was at a small quarry in Iowa, documenting a stratigraphic section. I was impatiently awaiting phone calls from my family, updating me on the progress of my sister's labor. That afternoon, I was on my way in from the field when I received the phone call. It was a girl! In an instant, I had become an aunt. Not just any aunt, but the one and only aunt. It became my duty to be the coolest aunt ever and it would be my job to take my niece on adventures and let her get away with things her parent's would never look beyond.
I went home to find an e-mail full of photos of the baby. She was perfect. A little nose, chubby cheeks, and a head full of hair. I was anxious to meet her. A few days later I was able to visit. I couldn't wait to get to Iowa City. I spent the hour and a half drive picturing my niece with her eyes wide open and I imagined all of the future adventures we would have.
I knew the baby would be born with a heart condition and I knew there would be a chance I wouldn't get to meet her. But, as soon as I arrived to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, I saw my Dad sitting on a bench. It all happened so fast. I left my purse with my dad, washed my hands, and entered through two automatic-doors in to the NICU. There were multiple tiny rooms with all kinds of gadgets and machines I dare not get close to. The rooms were dark and there were little incubators and beds that housed the tiny babies. Once behind the closed doors, my mom and sister escorted me to the baby's room.
It was at that very moment, the moment I approached the baby that I fell in love with her. In my eyes, Olivia was perfect. She was heavily sedated, but seemed to be doing well. Olivia had ten fingers, ten toes, but only half of a heart. You see, Olivia was born with a rare heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. I still do not fully understand it, but it basically means that the left side of her heart didn't develop and therefore, doesn't work properly.
At the age of one week Olivia underwent her first major open-heart surgery. Then, she underwent her second major open-heart surgery at the age of five months. Olivia has another major open-heart surgery to undergo when she is around three years old. In between these major surgeries she has undergone numerous catheterizations, echo-cardiograms, x-rays, and a long list of other things no one, let alone a child, should undergo. If I could, I would trade her spots in an instant.
As I write this letter I think back to all that I have gone through these past two years. Pretty much any emotion you can imagine, I have felt. But, now I think about what Olivia has gone through. It by far outweighs anything I have felt. Olivia has changed me from a skeptic, a cynic, and a realist, into an optimist. Olivia has shown bravery and she is thriving. Sadly, not all children with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome share the same fate as Olivia. I thank God every day for allowing me to spend time with Olivia. One smile from her will melt your troubles away. I wish that more people knew about her condition and her story. With it, you will find hope and faith. Olivia is and will always be my little hero.
Sincerely,
Bree McClenning