Desiree's Story

Photo courtesy of Victoria West Photography

Desiree can light up a room with just her smile.

Desiree had been home for six weeks when she was admitted to the hospital for some tests, and ended up staying for two months. Her parents knew “something” was wrong, but were devastated to find outthat it was a problem with her heart. 

Desiree was diagnosed with congenital heart defects,including . patent ductus arteriousis, atrial septal defect, and coartation of the aorta. When Desiree was diagnosed, she was already in heart failure.

Desiree's mom Tiffany said that the hardest part of the whole journey is actually knowing how close they came to losing their baby girl. 

Tiffany is amazed at her daughter's strength and how happy she is after all she has been through. 

It is unbelievably hard for the parents when their child has to undergo major heart surgery. Unless someone has been through it, they don't know, so Tiffany encourages parents in a similar situation to try to find other parents who have gone through the same thing. Support is everything. “Support is what will keep you afloat,” says Tiffany. 

Desiree will need to have the hole in her heart and her blood pressure monitored for the rest of her life, and will most likely be on blood pressure medication for a very long time. 

Her mom is amazed how Desiree went from being so very sick, to being an amazing little girl who is always smiling and who can make anyone around her laugh when she giggles. 

Desiree's parents hope she grows into a strong independent woman, and they hope that her journey will help people understand that heart babies are a lot stronger than people give them credit for!