I am supporting the Courage Classic for patients like Maddy. Here is her story...
"Hi. My name is Maddy French. I go to high school in Northern Colorado and thrive with a 3.8 G.P.A. I have lots of friends who love and care for me as I do them. At home I like sleeping, painting, drawing, working-out, cheerleading, playing with my dogs, cleaning, and spending quality time with my family. In the future I hope to become a Veterinarian while specializing in reproduction. On the outside I seem like a normal high schooler, going through the same growing pains as any other teenager. Living life with no regrets.
However, things weren't always so bright for me. At just 20 weeks pregnant, my parents were told that their unborn baby had a rare heart condition. So rare in fact that when they tried to educate themselves there were no books or websites. In the state of Colorado there are only about 500 people born with this and only about 50,000 nationally. It's called Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome. It's a congenital heart defect that presents itself in-utero. For a very, VERY, simple explanation, the right side of my heart did not develop properly. When I was born I was immediately taken into the hands of countless professionals. They planned the best course of action for me and in the end, they decided to proceed with 3 open heart surgeries. So, at the ripe age of 6 days I had my first open heart surgery. My mom told me it was tedious and that my heart was about the size of a strawberry. This surgery was, in essence, a placeholder. They inserted a small artificial tube that provided blood flow to my lungs. It's called the BT shunt.
After the surgery, I was kept in the hospital until July 5th, 2007. Fast forward to November 2007, it was time for my second open heart surgery. I was only 5 months old. This surgery was much more complicated and risky. It was the turning point in my journey where the surgeons were going to “rewire” everything inside. I can’t really explain it but if you look up the Glenn Procedure, you’ll be able to see how intricate it is. I can tell by the way that both of my parents describe it, that it was scary. My mom also told me that at one point after surgery, I stopped breathing. It is so crazy for me to think about that. However, once again, I went back home. I slowly started to become a regular baby and even met all of my milestones on time. I was sassy, happy, and healthy. Both of my parents have said countless times that I was the perfect baby. I never cried and mainly just slept. The times that I did start to “cry”, it lasted maybe 10 seconds.
Finally, my last heart surgery came. I was 3 years old. My parents watched me as I disappeared behind the swinging doors, expecting to have to wait a couple hours but before they could even get out of the lobby, it was done. It took a grand total of 45 minutes. My parents were awed. This surgery is called the Fontan and was performed in California at Children’s Los Angeles. The recovery was easy and I even have some memories from it still lodged in my brain somehow. Throughout those 3 years of my life, my parents have maintained that I was a happy kid. I even attempted summersaults freshly after one of my surgeries.
My journey is far from over though. I still have to work through the PTSD that it gave me. I still have countless appointments ahead of me. I still have to take the same medication that I have been taking my whole life. However, this does not deter me in any way. I have done amazing things because I realize time is precious. We only get one life and my journey has made me appreciate the opportunity to live. So live fearlessly. Live happily. Thank you for reading my story and I hope you are inspired to live fully."
Maddy's perseverance, growth, and positive attitude has been a motivation to me. I will be riding as a member of the Cardiac Climbers Team to help raise money to provide care for children, adolescents, and adults like Maddy who are living each day with congenital heart disease. The Courage Classic is not only a personal challenge, but also an opportunity to support positive outcomes and healthier futures for patients with congenital heart disease.
Thanks so much for your support!
Roni