Today I saw you, so young, so in love. How are you even old enough to have a baby? I see your husband (or is he your boyfriend?) wearing a High School Water Polo sweatshirt, instantly my eyes are on you, and I over hear your conversation. You find out today about your sons heart condition. I want to run up to you, and hug you and tell you that it will be okay. It might not. I want to tell you that you will live to tell about it. You might not feel like it. I want to tell you that you might be sitting here in the cardiologist office like us in 6 years wanting to hug another mom. You might not. I want to tell you that your son will be okay. He might not. Life sometimes gives you crazy twists and turns. Hold on, and try and enjoy the ride. I want to tell you that you will find your way. You might not. I want to tell you no matter what your faith is like now, you will pray like a Pentecostal grandma. I want to tell you about the amazing support systems out there. I want to tell you that you are not alone. That 1 in 100 babies are born with a heart defect. I do not want to tell you that 4,000 of them will not make it to their first birthday. Maybe your son will. I want to tell you that heart defects are the # 1 birth defect in the world. I don't want to tell you its also the # 1 Killer of all children. More then all the childhood cancers combined, yet when you tell your friends and family about your sons defect they will be shocked because they just think "It doesn't happen". I am here to tell you, it does. Some days you will feel like you can not go on. You can. Some days you will feel like you are getting a crash course on your MD. You are.
Dear Mom, One day you will over hear another mom getting the news no mother should have to hear, that her child too will be born with a heart defect. You will want to hug them like I did to you. You will want to tell them that it will be okay. It might not. Hug them anyways.
