Campaign Title???? Boys will be boys and this is Benji's decision for our campaign. He's so proud of it too. Benji has asked to run this race with me as well, so please consider that when sharing and determining your donor ability. He is so ecstatic to run and all the while bring awareness to this cause, and raise money!
We have been given the gift of extraordinary love and heave on earth when God chose us to parent our son, Benjamin. At my 20 week ultrasound, we were told there was something wrong with our baby. By week 26, a pediatric cardiologist confirmed a diagnosis of Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome. Our son would be born with multiple and critical congenital heart defects. Living in an area with three hospitals within 30 minutes of our home, none would be equipped to deliver Benjamin. So, after careful consideration, we chose for the rest of my neonatal care and Benjamin's cardiac care to be from UNC Children's Hospital. What we have come to know over the last five years, is Benji has defied all odds. The literature stated he never should've lived. Not through his first open heart surgery at one week old, or his first year of life. He had his second open heart surgery at six months old and we clung to our "normalcy." We were blessed to have a "healthy", thriving growing boy but we knew the planned third heart surgery would soon come. And while we ended up in Michigan for Benji's third surgery (due to the extreme complexity and fatal potentials), UNC Children's Hospital remains our follow up care and our continued hope to live a full life with Benji. We know we've been lucky and incredibly blessed but we are never out of the woods. The heart can stop working any minute. We can find ourselves, quickly, in a very perilous and scary situation and UNC Children's Hospital will be our home. They are our home, every few months for follow ups, echos, eegs etc. This race and the fundraiser I opt to host for it is very near and dear to my heart. UNC Children's is a home away from home for us and for so many families. Being able to provide that "homey" feeling while being in a never desired position is so vital to families like us and to be able to depend on our Children's Hospital to help provide that for us. Please consider donating any amount and enjoy sharing as much as you'd like.
Benji has asked to run this race with me as well, so please consider that when sharing and determining your donor ability. He is so ecstatic to run and all the while bring awareness to this cause, and raise money!
