Having a baby is THE most exciting wonderfully terrifying emotional roller coaster a woman will ever be on. 9 months of all the joy and fear you never knew you could feel centered around all the hopes and dreams you have developing into that little bundle that will be your everything. Ask any mom about the defining moments of her pregnancy... of her life and she will most likely tell you about the first time she heard the sweet muffled rhythmic beat of her babies heart.
The beat of a heart... the beginning of life itself. At a mere 18 days after conception... before anything else... a very basic heart begins to beat. Looking like nothing more than a flicker on a screen. Life has begun. It is the confirmation we desperately seek after seeing those positive lines on a pregnancy test that indeed our dreams are about to come true. It is where the journey begins. The bond between a mother and her child. The love. The inexplicable connectedness. Forever intertwined... and it all started with the beat of a heart.
September 16, 2011 my friend Ady first heard her baby Hayden's heart beat. The human heart is nothing short of amazing. I mean really amazing. Did you know that in an average life span the heart will beat 2.5 billion times... 2.5 BILLION. The heart is the single hardest working muscle in the body... supplying blood to almost all of the body's 75 trillion cells. That sound... you know the thump thump sound you hear when you listen to the heart that is actually the four chambers of the heart at work. So what if you only have 2 chambers working the way they should?
Half way through the pregnancy with Hayden at a visit where you normally find out the big news... if its a boy or a girl... Ady learned that Hayden had something called Hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Essentially a small underdeveloped left side of the heart.
Ady and her husband Rob turned their lives upside down researching, learning, and seeking out the best possible care for their baby with half a heart. Ready to fight right along side their warrior and give him the absolute best of everything. Modern medicine and the discoveries made trough technological advances are no doubt a mind blowing god send but when it comes to the matters of the heart... well we have all heard about the power of prayer. And so the Facebook "Prayer page for baby Hayden" was created. And if prayer alone could work a miracle Hayden would have most certainly gotten his. Thousands of people started following his journey... and praying for sweet Hayden.
On 3/12/12 Hayden Jeter Dorsett made his way into the world. Fiery red hair. The definition of baby blue eyes. 8 pounds 1 ounce of pure heavenly sweetness. Only 4 days later he headed in for his first open heart surgery. Thousands of people praying. Waiting for updates. Reading about his life... his journey... his heart. As time passed thousands of people continued to pray, watch Hayden grow, and who could help but fall in love. See that is Hayden the affect. You could not help but fall in love. His smile contagious. His eyes magnetic. His story... took hold of your heart. His purpose... bigger than anyone could imagine.
Hayden Jeter Dorsett 3/12/12 - 8/16/12 the Facebook update that would make 20,000 + hearts ache. The heart that touched so many stopped beating. But that is not where the story of Hayden's Heart ends.... not even close. With shattered hearts Ady and Rob started the foundation that is their sons legacy. Hayden's Heart Inc.
Each year over 1 million babies world wide are born with some form of CHD (congenital heart disease) Of those 1 million... 100,000 will not live to see their first birthday. More than 50% percent of these babies will require at least 1 invasive heart surgery in their life time. The cost of which is astronomical. In patient surgery to repair CHD exceeds 2 billion dollars a year.
The mission of Hayden's Heart Inc. is simple... spread CHD awareness... help ease the financial burden for other heart families... keep the memory of Hayden alive. In 2 short years the foundation has raised over $100,000 and financially helped over 20 families. They also send care packages to the cardiac unit at CHOP the place where Hayden's life began. Grieving hearts is another branch of the Hayden's Heart Inc. that sends care packages to other heart families who have also lost their heart warriors.
The heart is truly amazing. Amazing how one heart could touch so many. Amazing how with broken hearts his mom and dad could help so many others. Hayden's Heart was on a mission... in 5 months and 4 days on this earth his little heart generated more love that most can imagine. His life, his heart, has inspired so much needed goodness in this world and will continue to do so. The foundation that is his legacy has already done so much... and it all started with the beat of a heart. Hayden's heart...
This week is CHD Awareness week and Hayden's Heart Inc. has been chosen to partner with the company Sevenly. For every purchase made through their site this week $7 will be donated to Hayden's Heart Inc. Please head over to www.Sevenly.org . Shop for a cause. Spread some CHD awareness. Be a part Hayden's Heart <3
You can read more about Hayden at haydensheart.BlogSpot.com
or visit haydensheart.org
or visit haydensheart.org
you can also find out about all upcoming events and fundraisers on Facebook through the Hayden's Heart Page.
and don't forget to check out www.sevenly.org and support the Hayden's Heart campaign taking place this week!
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