Texas Heart Mom and Daniel’s Lion Heart Founder – Staci Geiger!

Texas Heart Mom, Staci Geiger, has experienced the trauma of handing her son over to surgeons far too many times. This experience left her grateful for the amazing care her son received and feeling blessed for his resilience and fortitude but it also left her wondering how people without the support she had could possibly go through the same journey she went through with her son's medical problems.

A mother, teacher and friend in the heart community, Staci decided to start a nonprofit organization to assist Christians facing the same trauma she experienced. Armed with compassion and a strong faith in God, she is working to provide support and comfort to others in the congenital heart defect community.

Tune in to this new podcast to hear Staci share her story about her son's medical journey, why and how she started a nonprofit organization and what her vision for the future is.

To visit Daniel's Lion Heart Foundation, go to: www.danielslionheart.com

Please take a moment to follow us on your preferred social media platforms:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-to-heart-with-anna/id1132261435?mt=2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HearttoHeartwithAnna/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPKwIU5M_YOxvtWepFR5Zw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hugpodcastnetwork/

If you enjoy this program and would like to be a Patron, please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/HeartToHeart

Transcript

Staci Geiger:   0:00
The doctor came in a few minutes later and he nonchalantly said, "Well, this baby looks perfect except for his heart."

Anna Jaworski:   0:07
Oh, my gosh!

Staci Geiger:   0:09
Yes. That's how the news was delivered to us.  

Anna Jaworski:   0:11
Oh, Staci.  

Staci Geiger:   0:12
His words were bombs that ripped our whole world apart.

Anna Jaworski:   0:23
Welcome to "Heart to Heart with Anna," I am Anna Jaworski and the host of your program. We are in our 14th season, and we're so happy you're here with us today. I'd like to thank patron Michael Liben not only for being a patron, but for increasing the size of his monthly donation. Thank you so much. Michael. Michael, as many of you know, is the host of "Heart to Heart with Michael," and he's a fantastic volunteer. We at Hearts Unite the Globe, really appreciate how he donates his time and his talent to our nonprofit by being a patron. He's also helping our organization financially. You can, too, by simply visiting www.patreon.com/hearttoheart and making a contribution. For the cost of a pizza, you can support our podcasts for an entire year! This visit us at www dot p a t r e o n dot com slash heart to heart for more information Today's show features a heart mom and our episode is entitled "Texas Heart Mom and Daniel's Lionheart founder Staci Geiger." Staci Geiger is heart-mom to Daniel, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. She also has to heart-healthy children David and Hannah. Staci is a high school English teacher, and she lives in central Texas. During her experience while in the hospital with her youngest son Daniel, she became passionate about supporting other families impacted by congenital heart defects or CHD's. She founded Daniel's Lionheart Foundation, which is a Christian organization that aims to bring caregivers a little joy so they feel more equipped to fight alongside their heart warriors. Since its founding in the summer of 2019 Daniel's Lionheart Foundation, or DLHF, has impacted the lives of over 50 families, delivering spirituals, support and comfort items to families in the hospital. Currently, DLHF is raising funds for care packages to be mailed to the end of November 2019 for caregivers at home with their babies. Welcome to "Heart to Heart with Anna," Staci Geiger!

Staci Geiger:   2:26
Hi, Anna. Thank you so much for having me on today!

Anna Jaworski:   2:29
Well, I'm excited to have you on the program, and I'm excited to learn more about Daniel's Lionheart Foundation.

Staci Geiger:   2:36
Thank you. I'm excited, too.

Anna Jaworski:   2:38
Well, let's get started by having you tell us when you found out that Daniel had hypoplastic left heart syndrome or HLHS.

Staci Geiger:   2:46
I'll never forget the moment my husband and I were at the doctor for our 20-week ultrasound, which is the diagnostic ultrasound. We were sitting there, and the ultrasound technician spent 45 minutes trying to get a picture of Daniel's heart.  

Anna Jaworski:   3:02
Oh, my goodness. 45 minutes? 

Staci Geiger:   3:04
Yes, 45 minutes on the heart alone.  

Anna Jaworski:   3:07
  Wow

Staci Geiger:   3:07
And I knew something was wrong, but she could not tell us anything. She couldn't give us any kind of indicator that she was worried, but I could tell because she spent 45 minutes looking at the heart alone. And so when she left the room, I turned my husband, Brian, and I said, "Something's wrong. Something's wrong with his heart," and he said, "No. I think he just was in a weird position," and I said, "no." Well, the doctor came in a few minutes later, and he nonchalantly said, "Well, this baby looks perfect except for his heart."

Anna Jaworski:   3:37
Oh, my gosh!

Staci Geiger:   3:39
Yes. That's how the news was delivered to us.  

Anna Jaworski:   3:40
Oh, Staci!  

Staci Geiger:   3:42
His words were bombs that ripped our whole world apart.  

Anna Jaworski:   3:45
Sure,

Staci Geiger:   3:46
Seconds later, he said, "Well, he has something called hypoplastic left heart syndrome." And I said, "What?" I'm an English teacher, I'm not a science teacher. I don't have any background of sciences.  

Anna Jaworski:   3:59
  Right

Staci Geiger:   3:59
And he said, "Well, it means surgeries." And I said, "What?"

Anna Jaworski:   4:03
Oh, my gosh,

Staci Geiger:   4:05
I said, "will my baby live!" He said, "Well, that depends upon the complexity of the condition and the complications that may occur."

Anna Jaworski:   4:13
So, Staci, he didn't even put the probe on your belly and look for himself. He just walked in...  

Staci Geiger:   4:19
No.  

Anna Jaworski:   4:19
... and delivered that bomb?

Staci Geiger:   4:21
Yes. Yeah, just walked in and he said, "This baby looks perfect. Except for his heart." Just like that,  

Anna Jaworski:   4:27
Ugh, wow  

Staci Geiger:   4:28
And it was unbelievable because he then delivered these technical terms in a way that I didn't understand. He didn't give us any kind of idea of prognosis or what it meant. And I was, of course, thinking the worst. I had never heard of this.  

Anna Jaworski:   4:43
Sure.  

Staci Geiger:   4:43
Basically, I knew that it meant that half his heart was unformed, and I felt like 'How could someone possibly survive that?"  

Anna Jaworski:   4:50
Right.  

Staci Geiger:   4:51
So I left the hospital, and the first thing I did was call my brother and my sister-in-law, who are both surgeons, and they immediately started doing research about it. And they got me in at the fetal center in Houston, at Memorial Hermann Hospital within three days of the news.  

Staci Geiger:   5:06
That's amazing.

Staci Geiger:   5:07
It was wonderful. I've heard other people say that they had to wait weeks to get in somewhere to get their diagnosis confirmed. For us. every day was torture, but we only had to wait four days after our diagnosis to get in for a fetal echo.

Anna Jaworski:   5:20
Wow. Well, tell us about Daniel's journey. How has he fared medically?

Staci Geiger:   5:26
His doctors all said when I was pregnant with him that he had a standard case of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which meant that his organs were all good and his heart was not super complex on its own. It was just a pretty normal case of HLHS, but Daniel decided that he was going to complicate things a little on his own by coming six weeks early.  

Anna Jaworski:   5:46
Wow.  

Staci Geiger:   5:47
Yes. He was born at 34 weeks gestation with HL HS in July of 2018, and from that moment on, it was just a whirlwind because he was six weeks premature. The best outcomes for the Norwood happen when the baby is at least 38 weeks gestation. So in order to buy Daniel a few more weeks of growing and maturing the surgeons, Dr. Salazar and Dr. Dodge Khatami decided to go ahead and do the PA banding, the pulmonary artery, banding. first when Daniel was six days old. And so he had his first surgery at six days old and then that bought him three weeks so that he had his Norwood operation when he was a month old. And then, because, during his Norwood, his left vocal cord nerve was damaged, he had to get a G-tube, a gastronomy tube, placed to help him eat because he was aspirating his milk  

Staci Geiger:   6:48
Ohhh  

Staci Geiger:   6:49
So, that was this 1st of 3 surgeries, and that all occurred before he was a month and 1/2 old.  

Staci Geiger:   6:55
Wow.  

Staci Geiger:   6:56
From birth until discharge, he spent 52 days in the hospital. And then we got to come home for seven weeks, and that was unbelievably wonderful. I'm so thankful for the time at home and for that normalcy. So we spent seven weeks at home and then, we had to go back. We were actually in Houston at a routine follow up appointment with this cardiologist, in Houston, and they admitted him because he was in heart failure and we were not anticipating this It all. Daniel gained 3 pounds in 7 weeks at home when he was thriving. And all of a sudden, this baby that was just totally healthy, in my view, clearly was not. So at that point, he had his Glenn surgery, and that is the second open heart surgery in this three staged palliation process. But because of his narrowing aorta, in addition to the Glenn, they had to patch his aorta and make it bigger. And that really complicated his Glenn. And because of that aorta patch, what ended up happening was they re paralyzed his left vocal cord, which had regained function in the seven weeks at home, and his left side of his diaphragm became paralyzed. The Glenn is supposed to be the easiest surgery. But for Daniel, it was the hardest because his diaphragm was not showing up on X-rays as paralyzed, and they didn't catch that. It was paralyzed for three weeks after his Glenn. So after Daniel's Glenn, he had to be emergently be reintubated twice.  

Anna Jaworski:   8:33
Wow,  

Staci Geiger:   8:33
and it was unbelievably horrible. We were scared. We didn't know what was going wrong. We didn't know why he couldn't be extubated. And finally, thank God, we found out that his left diaphragm was paralyzed, and they had to do his fifth surgery then, before he was five months old. A diaphragm plication. And they didn't have to go in through his sternum there, but they did have to go in through his ribs and tack his diaphragm down.  

Staci Geiger:   8:59
  Wow.

Staci Geiger:   8:59
And honestly, that surgery was probably the most painful recovery for Daniel. Those nerves are really painful, but after that, he thrived, and thank goodness we got to come home three days before Christmas last year, December 22nd, after a second stint of 58 days in the hospital. So total, Daniel spent 110 days in-patient at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston and He had five surgeries before he was five months old.

Anna Jaworski:   9:25
Okay, so when did you first consider yourself an advocate for Daniel? It sounds like it probably happened really soon after you found out about his diagnosis.

Staci Geiger:   9:35
I was in advocate mode whenever we found out. I was getting all kinds of information, and just trying to do my research. When he was born and had his PA banding and his Norwood and his G-tube placement we were all in shock, and in survival mode. We trusted the doctors, and we still do, of course, but we were just along for the ride. It was really during the Glenn that I became a militant heart mom and felt completely... Daniel is my son, obviously, he's my baby, he's my responsibility, and it's my duty to advocate for him. And I knew what that meant more the second time for his Glenn than I did the first time

H2HwM ad:   10:12
takes this hot industry we're offering. That's a mechanical hot, and he said, now that I've had enough to give it to someone worthy, my father promised me a golden dressed twirling held my hand and asked me where I wanted to go whatever stride for conflict that we experienced in our long career together was always healed by humor. Heart to heart With Michael Please join us every Thursday at noon, Eastern as we talked with people from around the world who have experienced those most difficult moments

BBSC ad.:   10:48
forever by the Baby Blue Sound collective. I think what I love so much about this city is that some of the songs were inspired by the patient's many listeners will understand many of the different songs and what they've been inspired. Our new album will be available on iTunes. Amazon dot com. Spotify. I love the fact that the proceeds from this CD are actually going to help those with congenital heart defects. Join Music Home Tonight forever.

Break return:   11:26
You are listening to heart to heart with Anna. If you have a question or comment that you would like to dress down show, please send an email to Anna Dworsky at Anna at heart to heart with anna dot com. That's Anna at heart to heart, with anna dot com now back to heart to heart with him.

Anna Jaworski:   11:45
Before the break, we were talking with Staci about her son Daniel, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Now let's talk about Daniel's Lionheart Foundation. Why did you feel you needed to create that nonprofit organization? Staci?

Staci Geiger:   11:59
Well, there are a lot of organizations, like Mended Little Hearts and the American Heart Association and all kinds of organizations that raise money for research for congenital heart defects. But, there are not as many organizations, few that I found, that raise money to help the families. And, I have a tremendous support system, and I do not know how people do this if they don't have a huge support system, and I know that many do not. And so Daniel's Lionheart Foundation was born out of knowing that there are so many people in need and knowing that there's something I could do to help.

Anna Jaworski:   12:38
Wow, that's really amazing. But you're right. There's wth e Children's Heart Foundation that raises money for research. Like you said, the American Heart Association raises money for research. So how is your organization different from other nonprofits that actually provides support to families, like Mended Little Hearts actually does provide support not only to families of heart warriors but also to bereaved families. How is your organization different from them?  

Staci Geiger:   13:06
Our organization is also a Christian ministry. When I was in the hospital, I felt completely surrounded in prayer, and my pastor visited weekly and there was a chaplain that came around, and it seemed like every time I turned around, someone was reaching out to me spiritually, and that had never happened to me before. And it was in the pediatric ICU, interacting with other families. I felt them reach out to me. They wanted me to pray with them and talk with them and feel with them. And to be honest, I feel like the most important thing I could give families going through the most devastating time of their lives, the most difficult, physically, mentally, spiritually, in every single way. exhausting...

Anna Jaworski:   13:50
Yeah, financially, too, for a lot of people,

Staci Geiger:   13:53
Exactly, ...by also providing spiritual support. And so that's what Daniel's Lionheart Foundation does in an addition to comfort items and community, we also provide spiritual support in terms of prayer warriors. We also are able to get families in touch with pastors in their area who then reach out to them. We also provide devotional items in our care packages and opportunities to continue to build in faith through this time.

Anna Jaworski:   14:18
Yeah, I think the fact that you're willing to go there, and actually talk about God or talk about Jesus I think that's one of the things that make sure organization different than a lot of the other organizations that I found. Because if I'm not mistaken, Mended Little Hearts tries to stay away from that because they want to be all-inclusive. One of the problems with being all-inclusive is that there's sometimes that means you exclude certain things.

Staci Geiger:   14:46
I was in touch with Mended Little Hearts with a lady in my area, and she said that if I was involved through Mended Little Hearts, if someone asked me to pray with them, I could not. I would have to decline. Not only did they stay away, but they actively disengaged from all faith matters. And I feel, like I said before, the most important thing I could do is provide that spiritual support. Of course not only spiritual support. We also financially support and emotionally support, and encourage community as well, but that is one of a very important component of our organization.

Anna Jaworski:   15:17
Well, I don't want to berate Mended Little Hearts, because a lot of my listeners know that I'm very supportive of Mended Little Hearts, but I do think it's important to know which organization you can go to when you have certain needs. So if you're looking for some help, especially if you're a bereaved parent, mended little hearts, puts together memory boxes for the parents. And they are excellent at helping people to stay educated, they provide an annual conference. So they do a lot of good in a community.

Staci Geiger:   15:46
Of course, absolutely. And there's room for everybody.  

Anna Jaworski:   15:49
There is!

Staci Geiger:   15:49
There can't be too much support, too much help

Anna Jaworski:   15:51
Exactly, exactly. And I love it that now we know that Daniel's Lionheart is the organization that we can go, to if people are looking for prayer. Is it only Christian based, or do you invite people of other religions to pray with you as well?

Staci Geiger:   16:06
It is only Christian based. We, of course, would send care packages to all faiths. You don't have to be a Christian to receive a care package, but our ministry is exclusively Christian.

Anna Jaworski:   16:18
Okay, It's good to know what the parameters are for the different organizations, so I'm glad that you've been very clear about that. Can you tell my listeners what your website is, in case they'd like to read more information about your organization?

Staci Geiger:   16:32
Absolutely. It's www.danielslionheart.com. That's d a n i e l s lionheart dot com  

Anna Jaworski:   16:44
No apostrophe?  

Staci Geiger:   16:46
Yeah, no apostrophe in the website. I documented our whole journey with Daniel on my blog, on the web site. You can see my blog tab, and you can also follow that if you're interested to know more about Daniel Story.

Anna Jaworski:   16:57
Yes, and I've enjoyed reading your blog. I think you have a really good blog. I think you've provided a lot of support to the community just through your blog and through what you've done on Facebook, because you've been really transparent in sharing your journey on Facebook.

Staci Geiger:   17:13
Well, thank you, Anna. I appreciate it. Anything I can do to help raise awareness and support other people is what I like to do,

Anna Jaworski:   17:20
I think you've done a great job already, and I'm excited to see where you carry Daniel's lionheart because I have a feeling it's going to be going places. What has been the biggest challenge that you have faced in creating a nonprofit organization, because I know I've had people who have asked me before, and they're intimidated by the whole 501C3 process?

Staci Geiger:   17:40
Well, I am very blessed. My mom is an accountant and my aunt is a CPA, and they also had just gone through the nonprofit paperwork with another nonprofit in our area called Driving Hope of Texas. And so I am very fortunate that I have to tax professionals who have recently filed 501C3 paperwork. All I could say is if you're interested in starting your own organization, assemble people who know what they're doing and can advise you and can help you along the process because I certainly was not equipped to know what to do. But, I was able to work with people who did, and it made a huge difference.

Anna Jaworski:   18:17
Yeah, I think you're absolutely right with that. I know that when I was putting my nonprofit organization together, I did hire a lawyer, and I think that made a huge difference for me because she had worked with other nonprofit organizations, and she helped me by explaining what articles of incorporation were and by-laws and how to create your mission and vision statement and all those great things that I really had no clue about. But there's also a lot of information online as well. And in fact, later I'll be posting a blog by a CPA who provides information to help people with their nonprofit. So, if people have questions, I think there are a lot of answers online, and I agree with you. Surround yourself with other people who are smarter than you are, who have more experience than you do. Why reinvent the wheel?  

Staci Geiger:   19:06
Absolutely.  

Anna Jaworski:   19:07
I was wondering if your organization is only for families in Texas or if you go beyond that?

Staci Geiger:   19:16
We are absolutely open to everywhere outside of Texas. I mean, the whole United States, even international, especially families, maybe that are coming into the country, and being serviced by hospitals in the United States and are staying in Ronald McDonald houses. To answer that, no, we're not confined to Texas. There's nowhere that you live that we could not send a care package.

Anna Jaworski:   19:36
I love that because we know that sadly, congenital heart defects affect people all over the world.  

Staci Geiger:   19:42
Absolutely

HUG ad:   19:46
Hi, My name is Jaime Al Croft, and I just published my new book, The Tin Man Diaries. It's an amazing story of my sudden change of heart as I went through a heart liver transplant. I can think of no better way to read It's in man diaries than to cuddle up in your favorite hearts. Unite the Globe sweatshirt and your favorite hot beverage, of course, in your hearts Unite Blow Mug, both of which are available. The Hug podcast network, online store or visit Hearts Unite theglobe dot

H2HwA ad:   20:17
tthe heart to heart with Anna is a presentation of hearts, Unite the Globe and is part of the hug Podcast Network Hearts Unite The Globe is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing resource is to the congenital heart defect community to uplift and power, enrich the lives of our community members. If you would like access to free Resource, is pretending to the CHD community. Please visit our website at www congenital heart defects dot com for information about CHD, the hospitals that treat Children with CHD summer camps for CHD survivors and much, much more. Anna Dworsky has spoken around the world at congenital heart defect events and she is available as a key note or guest speaker for your event. Go to heart to heart with anna dot com to learn more about booking Anna for your event. You can also find out more about the radio program. Keep up to date with CHD Resource Is and information about advocacy groups as well as read Ana's Weakly Blawg. Anna wants you to stay well connected and participate in the C H D community. Visit Heart to Heart with anna dot com today.

Anna Jaworski:   21:32
Staci, in the last segment we talked about how you created Daniel's Lionheart Foundation. What has been the most rewarding moment that you've had since you started your nonprofit?

Staci Geiger:   21:43
The most rewarding moment for me has been just seeing the real difference that it makes for people. Just the other day I was on one of my Facebook groups I follow for heart Mom's someone posted, asking what people have done to give back to the heart mom community because she received a care package and it really touched her heart. And the care package that she described, was the one we delivered to her hospital.  

Anna Jaworski:   22:09
Oh, how awesome

Staci Geiger:   22:12
I was able to touch base with her about it and make sure it was the right one. But yeah, she was at the hospital and it was from our organization, and just to see that wow, this did inspire her to get through her experience, but also just to give back. Now she's thinking of different ways that she can give back, and that's exactly what we seek to do. And one of the things that she said was the most meaningful where these prayer cards that I include, and that was an affirmation that this is fulfilling a great need.

Anna Jaworski:   22:41
I'm the executive producer of Heart to Heart with Michael, and one of the things that we've learned through some of the professional conferences that we've gone to is that when people suffer a trauma like we have, or, in Michael's case, the loss of his child, that some people go through a period of what the three of us have gone through, and that is where we do look to give back. We look to find something positive out of this very traumatic experience, and it's called post-traumatic growth, and it's where you grow because of the trauma that you have experienced, and I think that if you're able to work through something is extremely traumatic, extremely potentially damaging and find something positive out of it. And I think when you can do that, it really does help you grow as a person.

Staci Geiger:   23:37
Absolutely. And I think what you are describing is one of the reasons why I feel so strongly that it's important to give back because this journey that we're on his heart parents is so difficult. It is one of these things that it is impossible to explain unless you've been there and when we get beat down, we as heart moms, or caregivers to these children, gets beat down, we don't look after ourselves and we can't fight beside our Children, and that is crucial for our kids to live happy, healthy lives. For them to have a good outlook. We have to be strong with them and we can't do that if our tank is empty. And so, this is one way to meet those needs and to help support people so that they do feel like they can fight next to their child, they're equipped for that and they're not running on fumes

Anna Jaworski:   24:28
Right, and I do feel that as mothers were frequently running on fumes anyway. But you add in the complexity of congenital heart defects. and look at you two other children not to mention pets and a job that also has demands on you. It's a lot.  

Anna Jaworski:   24:44
Absolutely.  

Anna Jaworski:   24:45
Staci, tell us what you have planned for Daniel's Lionheart Foundation in the future because I know you have a lot of fun things planned.

Staci Geiger:   24:53
Yes, next year, we are gonna do four projects. We're going do it like probably once every three months next year. And I have assembled an advisory council of other heart moms who are going to help inform me what populations to benefit and what kind of projects to do. And then, my board of directors will then finalize our those decisions. But some of the things that we're thinking of is doing a project benefiting bereaved heart bombs. Another one would be benefiting mothers of multiple heart warriors. And so there's a lot of things on the agenda on how to benefit. And the thing about Daniel's Lionheart is we're not only care packages. We are assessing where there's need, and then trying to meet those needs. Something also in the future, planned for early summer, is a once-monthly respite opportunity for moms of medically fragile children. What I'm envisioning that looking like is one Saturday, a month for four hours there will be qualified nurses on hand to watch your medically fragile children so that you have four hours to do whatever you would like to do with that, and that would be a free of charge thing that Daniel's Lionheart Foundation provides. Another thing is, within those four hours, there will be an optional support group in Bible study for the moms that would like to engage with other moms of medically fragile children. So that's something else on the agenda. We're also planning a 5K benefiting Daniel's Lionheart Foundation that will also kind of be a carnival atmosphere a very family-friendly atmosphere with face painting and a bounce house and...

Anna Jaworski:   26:26
That sounds like fun!

Staci Geiger:   26:27
It'll be great. I mean, wherever there is need, that is where we're gonna be. So that's what we're looking for for the future.

Anna Jaworski:   26:33
Well, that's awesome. I know that there are going to be some people who are listening that would love to be involved. So, can you tell us how people can contact you so they can donate or be volunteers for your activities?

Staci Geiger:   26:47
Absolutely. That would be wonderful. Please email at Daniel's Lionheart Foundation at gmail dot com. Also, you can go to our website www dot daniel's lionheart dot com and contact us there, and we would love to have volunteers and any kind of support from people listening.

Anna Jaworski:   27:08
I just love that. And I love the fact that you just live right down the road from me, so I know I can help out because I think what you're doing is very worthwhile. Staci.

Staci Geiger:   27:19
Well, thank you so much, Anna.

Anna Jaworski:   27:21
Well, thank you, Staci, for coming on the program today and talking to us about Daniel's Lionheart Foundation. It's a very special Christian support group, and I'm happy that I can help share it with the world.  

Staci Geiger:   27:33
I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Anna Jaworski:   27:35
Well, that concludes this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna," thanks for listening today. Don't forget to check out our patreon page. You can get special opportunities, merchandise, you might even be able to meet with the "Heart to Heart with Anna" team in person. All it takes is a small regular donation to make a big difference. Of course, a large donation could make an even greater difference. Go to www.patreon.com/hearttoheart, that's p a t r e o n slash Heart to heart to learn more. That's all for this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna." Remember, my friends, you are not alone.

Break return:   28:09
Thank you again for joining us this week. We hope you have been inspired and empowered to become an advocate for the congenital heart defect community. "Heart to heart with Anna," with your host Anna Jaworski can be heard every Tuesday at 12 noon Eastern time.