This is Aurora. We found out at 7 months old that she has a stage 3 heart block AV completely with a low heart rate—this was all so new to us.

Less than a year later she was going into her first but not last open-heart surgery to have a pacemaker put in her abdomen to help her heart to keep functioning as a normal heart does.

This CHD is lifelong—it’s not just a single surgery and she’s fixed for life and we can forget and move forward. We have a strong fighter on our hands and are grateful that we can spread CHD awareness to others as well for some this journey is cut short and for others, it means many more surgery to come but they are fighters and worriers every day! Aurora just had her year just a week and a half ago since she had her surgery and it’s for sure a reminder as well as a memory for us that she is a fighter and that CHD is not easy.

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