I am riding in the Courage Classic this year for Blake, a sixth generation Colorado Native.
At the 20 week ultrasound for Blake, her parents Kelsey and Tim were told that their rainbow baby had a congenital heart defect and would likely need open-heart
surgery shortly after birth. On February 12th, 2022 Blake was born with Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, and an abnormal tricuspid valve with
severe insufficiency. After only a couple minutes with mom and dad, Blake was taken to the NICU where she spent 36 hours before being transported to Children's Hospital.
While at Children's, Blake stayed in the CICU for 5 days before doctors decided what procedure would be best. During so, this was the first time that Tim was able to hold his daughter. At just 6 days old, Blake went to the Cath lab where she received a stent, avoiding open heart surgery. After 24 hours of recovery in the CICU, Blake was able to move to the CPCU.
Shortly after Blake went home, she was back in the Cath lab requiring another stent after Kelsey and Tim noticed her saturations dropped during their nightly spot check. Once she got the new stent, Blake improved dramatically and has been able to achieve important milestones!
Blake went in for her Glenn procedure at 5 months old. She was only at the hospital 5 days for the procedure and recovery, record timing! Since Blake’s Glenn, Blake and her family have been able to live a normal life with her. They have been able to take her up to the mountains and are traveling to the Bahamas with her this summer. Blake is growing like a healthy baby would. She loves to eat and loves to eat a variety of food. Anything from fruits and veggies, to sushi, and even spicy foods too. Blake recently turned 1 and we can't wait to see what adventures she gets to go on this year!
This year, big changes were made in Blakes family as they welcomed a new baby girl, Drew. Blake has become the best big sister to Drew and we can't wait to see them both grow up.
A note from her parents:
Although we know this is just the beginning, we are so proud of our little girl. She continues to show us how resilient she is. She is a daddy’s girl and mama’s world kind of girl! We don’t know what the future holds for Blake, but we continue to live day by day and celebrate every day with our little girl!
To continue to follow Blake’s Story follow us on Instagram @Blakes_heartjourney.
I feel incredibly honored to ride for Blake and every other kid that has been helped by Childrens hospital. The Courage Classic is not only a personal challenge, but an opportunity to support positive outcomes and a healthy future for children like Blake.
