Kate the Great

Remember Ella?  She's the adorable three year old who is a little heart friend of Haven's and who had her Fontan surgery last year.  I wrote about her and her family here.  In case you need to be reminded of her adorableness....let me refresh your memory:

Well, her amazing patient, strong, resilient, funny, caring, thoughtful, and tough-as-nails mother is running a half marathon in honor of Ella.  This family means more to me that I can describe.  And Kate specifically is like my AA sponsor if there was such a thing for heart moms.

Please consider supporting Kate in her effort to run on behalf of her kids.  Even a dollar would mean you are showing support of heart families who go through unbelievable lengths for their kids and the doctors who save these kids lives.

PLEASE CONSIDER A SMALL DONATION BY CLICKING HERE.

Everyone is hanging in there given that Ella still has her feeding tube and some recurring feeding issues, that both Ella and her brother Logan have to undergo cataract surgeries, Logan being the most recent patient at Children's and what was supposed to be a 45 minute surgery turned into a four hour unexpected ordeal that they have to repeat on his other eye again next month.  While Ella's most recent open heart surgery, the Fontan (the same surgery Haven will undergo next month), seems to have been a success thus far, she too, will undergo her eye surgeries sometime this year as well.

Kate is like no one else I have ever met.  She has sacrificed everything for her family --  is with them everyday, manages multiple doctor's visits, home visits, hospitalizations, insurance companies, schools, pharmacies, feeding tubes, medications, incisions, eye patches, dirty diapers, prescription glasses and more all while being a wife, sister, daughter, dog owner and friend to many.  She is gorgeous, funny, smart, and somehow manages to keep herself healthy and sane amidst taking care of everyone else.  Hence, the ability to even consider running a half marathon on top of everything.  She has never run a half before and this will be just another major accomplishment she will be able to add to her list.

Being a parent is lot like running a marathon.  Being a heart mom is like running that same marathon while wearing a baby Bjorn with a baby in it.  Being Kate is like running a marathon with a baby strapped to your chest and you have to wear a surgical eye patch on both eyes.

So you know what?  Let's give this special mom and dear friend of mine a little shout out and support her half marathon run on top of the unbelievable job this woman does just when she's standing still.

Knowing you are not alone and that people out there care about what you are going through -- well, it's just about the best feeling ever amidst a constant sense of worry, apprehension and struggle.

On behalf of Kate and her family -- THANK YOU!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox