Siblings of a Truncus Arteriosus Sister

Jeff is the oldest of three siblings, born in 1977, and the only son to Chris and Jeff Sr. Jeff was just over 4 years old, when Jennifer was born with a congenital heart defect. Growing up, he was responsible for walking Jennifer to the school they both attended and babysitting both sisters. He enjoyed playing most sports, especially hockey, which he still plays.Jessica Weiner, at 32, is the heart-healthy, youngest of three siblings. Jessica’s sister, Jennifer, was born with Truncus Arteriosus in 1982. Jessica was not yet born when her sister had her first surgery. However, the two siblings, who shared a room growing up, are quite close; Jessica often takes on the role of secondary caregiver to her older sister.Join us today as we talk with these siblings about what it's like to grow up with a sibling with a congenital heart defect, how her heart defect and hospitalizations affected their lives and what it meant to Jeff once he decided to start a family of his own.

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Transcript

spk_0:   0:04
Welcome to heart to Heart with Anna featuring your host on a Gorski. Our program is designed to empower the CH D or congenital heart defect community. Our program may also help families who have Children who are chronically ill by bringing information and encouragement to you in order to become an advocate for your community. Now here is energy Dworsky. Welcome to the 11th season of Heart to Heart with Anna Artiness is in his siblings of congenital heart

spk_1:   0:32
defect patients, and we have a great show today. Today show is siblings of a trunk, Astarte Iria says Sister, and our guests are siblings Jessica Viner and Jeff Whiner. Jessica Whiner, at 32 is a heart healthy youngest of three siblings. Jessica's sister, Jennifer, was former trinkets arterial sis in 1982. Jessica was not yet born when her sister had her first surgery. However, the two siblings who shared a room growing up are quite close. Jessica often takes on the role of secondary caregiver to her older sister. Jessica lives in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood that works at Fuego centrists along in spot on Michigan Avenue. She started her career. Is this hair stylists with trick OCI School of Beauty. After many years in industry, she remains current by seeking out the latest trends and newest techniques. Jessica's ability to make her cry its abilities comes from her friendly demeanor as well as her strengths. That precision cutting, bridal styling and special occasion design will meet Jeff in the second segment of the show. Welcome to her Talk with Anna Jessica

spk_2:   1:36
for having me,

spk_1:   1:38
but I'm so excited to have you here, and I understand you are quite the hairstylist. When your sister told me about you, I asked her If Do you do her hair? She said, Yeah, that's one of the perks to having you as a sister. A pro? Yeah,

spk_2:   1:52
she's my test dummy.

spk_1:   1:53
E could

spk_2:   1:55
try new things that

spk_1:   1:56
well, that's good. It's good to have somebody you could experiment off. Yeah, but I love how it sounds like the two of you are so close. So can you tell me a little bit about your childhood? Growing up with a sister with a serious congenital heart defect? Especially since you were born after her initial need for care. Were you aware of her condition?

spk_2:   2:18
You know what? I really totally wasn't aware of what exactly was wrong with Jenny. I knew something had happened. Been before I was born. But to my knowledge at the time, she was fine. And she may be needed to go see doctors here and there. And somehow I knew she was a little extra special, you know, a little more. Cared for people, worried about her more. I worried about him or even being her younger sister. But I really didn't know the whole story of what went on. But I knew I felt the way I felt. And how itwas, you know in our

spk_1:   2:56
house took. What is the age difference between the two of you?

spk_2:   3:00
Three years?

spk_1:   3:01
Well, Jennifer had surgery again once you were both in high school. Can you tell us about that time?

spk_2:   3:06
We're both teenagers. I was in high school to to be like, brutally honest. A teenager is not very aware of what's going on in there outside life. I remember she needed surgery. I remember going to the hospital the day she had it and visiting her the next couple weeks. But for some reason it didn't seem like as big of a deal as it really a come here to now when I go into surgeries with her that are way less invasive than an open heart surgery. I'm a nervous rack, you know,

spk_1:   3:39
But that

spk_2:   3:41
at the time, really, it's just I never grasp the gravity of what was going on.

spk_1:   3:46
Well, and I think that's typical, don't you?

spk_2:   3:48
Yeah, I hope so. I

spk_1:   3:50
hope I e your selfish enough women. The way your sister talks about you. She has such glowing praise for you. I just think that your PS didn't do anything, doesn't unduly scare you. And I'm guessing that you didn't see them crying or getting all upset about it. Which is the way that I tried to handle it with my son surgeries to He also has a He has a brother three years older. You're three years younger, but you know, once again very close in age. Three year difference isn't huge. It is when you're talking one in four or three and six, then it seems like it. But the older you get, the less that three year difference seems to be. But you know, which is treated right, Alex Surgery's like, a matter of fact, because they work,

spk_2:   4:37
right? If

spk_1:   4:38
you have it, you wouldn't survive it. So you just went into it. But so she did tell me that you two are very close in that and that you do go with her to different appointments. Now, do you know the lingo when the doctor is talking, Do you understand what they're talking about with her?

spk_2:   4:56
Sometimes sometimes I have 20 follow up questions for her. Of

spk_1:   5:00
what? Me And even

spk_2:   5:02
still now, when she abbreviate everything I'm like, take it back of stuff. You know, like you.

spk_1:   5:07
You

spk_2:   5:08
know, I try.

spk_1:   5:10
Yeah, well, yeah, it's pretty tough, especially when you're not living with it. It's not is tangible for you as it is for her. I imagine so happy about your experience with a sibling with a chronic illness have affected your outlook. Where your willingness to act as a caregiver to your sister has it possibly effect did other aspects of your life.

spk_2:   5:31
I think that kind of taught me to be a little bit more independent. I never wanted to stress my parents out because they had enough to worry about with life, let alone a daughter with C h d. So I kind of learned to solve my own problems. You know, I knew I needed to be strong. And I find myself doing that as an adult. I would say, Like I'm a pretty good caregiver, maybe even a little extra annoying. When I'm with my sister

spk_1:   5:57
in the hospital, I asked a 1,000,000 questions.

spk_2:   6:00
It is, But I do take care of people. Really? Well, I think that I've developed that over the years.

spk_1:   6:06
You think that's what makes you such a good beautician?

spk_2:   6:09
Maybe it maybe I listen to people and try. Yeah, you?

spk_1:   6:12
Yeah. It sounds like you're very nurturing and loving person and probably spills into your professional world as well.

spk_2:   6:20
I try. Yeah, I tried.

spk_1:   6:21
Awesome. Do you think that becoming a hairdresser has anything to do with you taking care of your sister? It sounds like you like to play with her hair. And you like to do things with her. A ce faras. You know, girlie, thanks a sense to me. And girls have a real good girlie relationship. Do you think that that is what lured you to that profession?

spk_2:   6:43
I don't know. I'm not sure, because to be honest, my sister was kind of more of the tomboy of the two of us. So she was kind of more sports and things like that. And I was doing who's ever here, Let me, you know,

spk_1:   6:56
we're trying on whatever

spk_2:   6:58
outfit I could find, though I don't know where it came from, but I knew I always loved fashion and style, and I think that's kind of how it develops via

spk_1:   7:08
So it sounds like you and your sister have quite opposite personalities in that way. Then

spk_2:   7:12
we do. She, ah, reader and smart and good at sports and all that self. And I'm kind of more the opposite fashion type things. And I read a little bit, but not like her, my brother's readers. So we are very different. But you know, when it comes to her house, we always bound our opinions and ideas and stuff off each other.

spk_1:   7:39
It sounds like you guys are really there for each other, mystically as well as emotionally and spiritually.

spk_2:   7:47
Yeah, we always try to be in each other's corners and, ah, work through any problems we have together. Yeah,

spk_1:   7:54
I love it that even though all three of you are adults now, you all still live near each other? Yeah. Do you get together regularly?

spk_2:   8:03
We try to Yeah. We see each other Sundays for dinner, usually by great parents. Um, and chitchat here and there outside of that, too. Yeah, we try to We're really close. We really bonded.

spk_1:   8:15
And your sister even told me that you girls live together for quite a while.

spk_2:   8:19
We did? Yeah.

spk_1:   8:20
As it don't hit this. Yes,

spk_2:   8:22
my first department together. Yeah,

spk_1:   8:24
that's so neat. I just love that it sounds to me like she's really lucky to have you.

spk_2:   8:29
She is. No.

spk_1:   8:33
So if you're listening to this Jennifer thing, Well, thank you just for sharing this information with us. That was like a commercial break. Don't leave yet listeners, because coming up next,

spk_0:   8:48
we're going to talk to Jeff wine about this experience as a sibling at the C H. D patient. When we come right back, The

spk_3:   8:56
most common theme here is why

spk_0:   8:59
she always needed a lot of attention. She had strokes. Even though it's a national inclination to withdraw from the CHD community, I think being a part of it, help me be part of a solution. Heart to heart with Michael, please join us every Thursday at noon. Eastern. I'm Michael. Even on I'll be your host. As we talked with people from around the world who have experienced those most difficult moments, 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 Hannah at heart to heart with anna dot com. Now back to heart to Heart with Emma Welcome back to our show Heart to Heart with Deanna, a show for the congenital heart defect community

spk_1:   9:50
Today. Show is siblings of a Trunk is arterial assist sister, and our guests are Jessica Whiner and Jack Warner. We just finished talking with Jessica about her experience growing up with an older sibling with the age day, but now we're going to turn our attention to her brother Jeff. Jeff is the oldest of three siblings born in 1977 and the Onley said to Chris and Jeff Sr Jeff was just over four years old when Jennifer was born with a complex congenital heart defect growing up. He was responsible for walking Jennifer to the school they both attended and baby sitting, both sisters. He enjoyed playing most sports, especially hockey, which he still plays. After graduating high school, Jeff attended trade school and became a union plumber. In 2006 he married Juliet Manning and moved to Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood a year later to celebrate with their families. Jeff and Julie had a second wedding, this time a state via her Catholic church in Chicago. When a couple decided to start a family, they moved to River Grove, the town in which the whiner siblings grew up. Jeff now has a five year old son back in preschool as Saint Celeste Ng in Elmwood Park. Welcome to heart to Heart with Anna Jeff,

spk_3:   11:00
I thank you. Thanks for having me.

spk_1:   11:02
Well, I just love having a brother sister duo on the show today. This is so much fun. Okay, so now I'm gonna take you way, way back and ask you Can you remember when your sister Jennifer was born, how things changed from when it was issue with your parents?

spk_3:   11:20
I was only like, four years old at the time, so I really don't remember much before. I think Jenny's first surgery on her first time in the hospital was pretty much beginning of what I can remember. I remember being in the hospital a lot when I was a kid.

spk_1:   11:34
Do you?

spk_3:   11:35
And sitting in the waiting room with grand parents or with one of my parents are an uncle, and I think that was where I learned to read. Remember reading a lot in the waiting room? That hospital

spk_1:   11:49
boy, that's the first time I've heard that. Wow, how interesting that reading is what to remember. And your sister just told me that both you and your sister are readers. Do you think that those early days of reading in the waiting room and I can't help but wonder if maybe you said you were sitting there with your grand parents? Sometimes. Do you have some happy memories of your grandparent's reading with you?

spk_3:   12:13
Uh, no. Reading was always like a solitary thing, like it was quiet. Everyone was quiet in the waiting room and I'd have my book and I just read to myself. I got pretty good at entertaining myself, and I still enjoy it.

spk_1:   12:24
Well, that's good I mean, I imagine most kids today if there take into their siblings appointment, sir. Sitting there playing their own intendant. But back in this 70. Probably

spk_3:   12:35
be doing that when I'm in the waiting room. Now.

spk_1:   12:37
Yeah. So I'm sorry. What year were you born

spk_3:   12:40
in? 1977

spk_1:   12:41
96. So back in the seventies, it would have been a tease for you That by the time you were reading. So back in eighties, I don't think we had a Nintendo. I don't remember it in eighties. Not in the early eighties, anyway.

spk_3:   12:52
Later, 80 headed at home. I remember having it, but they didn't have any. There was nothing you could do outside of the house.

spk_1:   12:58
No coloring. Booting. Yeah, that's about it. How do you think your perspective on Jennifer's condition changed from when she was first diagnosed? Two her continued care as a teen and an adult. Because if the girls were both in high school, that means you were already out of the house when she had that surgery as a teenager

spk_3:   13:18
at the beginning, it didn't seem like it was anything. You know, I'd almost be normal because that's just the way it was always a SW far as I could remember was Jenny Esko, the hospital air. Jenny's having a surgery or Jenny needs a procedure. All that stuff just seem normal. And then it wasn't until her surgery in 1999 when she had her conduit replace, that it started to seem like it was kind of a big deal, because between that time it was something that I was just understood and it never really affected anyone else. But in 1999

spk_4:   13:50
I

spk_3:   13:50
remember the whole family got together and went life source, which is a place where you donate blood and everyone was doing anything blood specifically for Jenny's surgery. There's a lot of people in our family who were Type O. We were all donating the blood for her. That was the first time I started to realize it was kind of a big deal when she had her pacemaker put in was when she started to get really involved with C H D. And that's when I understood that it was a really big deal, especially for her. It just seemed like something that had to be done before that. But now it was like something meaningful.

spk_1:   14:23
And so you were in your twenties before that happened, right?

spk_3:   14:28
99. 22.

spk_1:   14:30
Tell me what it was like growing up with the sister with a serious heart condition. It sounds to me like it wasn't any different. Been really your relationship with Jessica?

spk_3:   14:38
No, it wasn't. There were some times when you could. He like the fragility in Jenny, but that's just who she always been. She was always a lot skinnier than the rest of us with something that I always remember. The one thing that's stuck in my mind about her condition was I remember once when I was young, we were in our old house and my mom and dad had a machine. They used to clean out her trachea when she had a trick tube. I remember she had a metal tube that was on like a cloth string that was tied around her neck, and I remember my mom cleaning it out one day. It was really sad. Even at the time, I don't remember how old I was, but it really bothered me on. That was the only thing that really bothered me about it was that happening and now thinking back on it. Like with my kid thinking about having to go through that with my kids. Yeah. Really?

spk_1:   15:30
Yeah. I bet it seems really different to you now that your father yourself? Yeah, And looking back, it probably seems almost surreal. Yeah,

spk_3:   15:40
really hard to imagine. Having to do

spk_0:   15:41
that

spk_1:   15:42
probably gives you a whole new appreciation for your parents.

spk_3:   15:45
Yeah,

spk_1:   15:46
it sounds like they did such a good job of providing a normal environment for you and Jessica. And Jennifer doesn't sound like they made a huge big deal about it. And they just allowed you all to develop. Is normal relationship is you could have.

spk_3:   16:00
Oh, yeah. Everything her condition required was just something that had to be done. Like cleaning your room, doing your homework without anything special. It was just the way things were

spk_1:   16:09
since Jennifer was so tiny compared to the rest of the family, did you feel that you had to treat her differently? Like, be more gentle with her? No, not so

spk_3:   16:20
much gentle with her. I mean, we used to joke around with their about it. We'd tell her she was

spk_1:   16:24
adopted. I love it. It's so what? Siblings do

spk_3:   16:29
way. Tried to use a lot of humor. It was all good. Wasn't like we were treating her with kid gloves or anything. Jenny likes the blamed me for breaking her leg.

spk_4:   16:39
I'm sure he told you

spk_3:   16:40
the story. Actually, you

spk_1:   16:41
know, she has it. So you could tell us

spk_3:   16:44
when I was a little kid and I was laying on the floor one day, coloring in the coloring book, and I had Kranz and markers laying around. And Jenny was doing whatever kids her age do running around. And she ran past me and rolled on one of the Kranz and fell down. Broke her leg. She always blames me now for breaking her leg.

spk_4:   17:01
Handled her kind of roughly.

spk_1:   17:03
Now that sounds like a complete accidents. Not like you pushed her out of a tree house or anything. I love how it sounds like that three of you just had a normal, rough and tumble relationship without being unduly stressed. I hope your parents are listening to this because that is what we dream of. Or at least that's what I dreamed of with my Children. Is that when you're told that your child has a life threatening condition. You crave normalcy. You just want everything to go back to normal as quickly as possible. I know I worried for Joey for my heart. Healthy child. What was it going to be like him being raised with a brother who could possibly pass away? And I just wondered, how could I make things as normal as possible? And it sounds like your parents did a beautiful job of it.

spk_3:   17:52
Yeah, we never even knew it was that serious. It was just something that happened. Something that continued happening and

spk_1:   18:00
well, thank you, Geoffrey. Sharing that information, we need to take a quick break, but don't leave yet listeners, because when we come back, we're going to talk to Jessica and Jeff. About what? If I say her for other siblings and

spk_0:   18:11
parents facing a situation similar to dinners will be right back after this quick break. When I saw somebody of the CH three groups growing, I found family just ready to join May anyone who is a member of the adult congenital heart defect community can be a guest on our show way, have a great year plans, and we look forward to sharing other interesting topics. Heart to Heart With Poland David Serving a CHD Community. Wednesdays at Noon Eastern

spk_5:   18:54
Bye Baby Blue Sound Collective. I think what I love so much about this CD is that some of the songs were inspired by patients. Many listeners will understand many of the different songs and what they've been inspired by. Our new album will be available on iTunes. Amazon dot com. Spotify I love the proceeds from this CD are actually going to help those with music home tonight forever

spk_0:   19:24
to heart to heart with a chauffeur. The congenital

spk_1:   19:27
heart defect community. Today's show is siblings of a trunk ist arterial sister and our guests or siblings Jessica Whiner and Jeff Wojnar. We just finished talking with Jeff about what it was like to be in a family where it's simply had a major congenital heart defect. And to listen to him, Youa Diego was no different than any other family, which I absolutely love and said, Here we are. We're in the third segment and we're all in this studio together, and I can't wait to see what information Jessica and Jeff have to share with us of Jessica. I'm going to start with you support for siblings of a chronically ill, patients seem to be severely lacking even over a decade ago. So I'm sure when you work first, growing up, it was really lacking. So can you tell us if you remember in the hospital or in your church if they gave you any kind of support when Jennifer was in the hospital?

spk_2:   20:18
No. I remember that everyone kind of cared and checked on ash and brought food over. But for me, it was in my memory was mostly family and friends that really did that. You know, this questions kind of funny for me because it's siblings with a sister who's sick. You're never thinking of yourself. What would I need support for it with

spk_1:   20:38
her, You

spk_2:   20:39
know, we just need to get Johnny better. You know, it's kind of funny thinking back, though. Now people might not have had such a support system as we did with our family. You know, the idea is great that there's support now for siblings. Yeah, kind of a funny question for us because we weren't worried about ourselves, you know, we were just worried about

spk_1:   20:59
her. But nowadays they have programs Where before the child has a major surgery. Both the child and the siblings can go to the hospital. They take a tour of the hospital. They show them to You are. They showed them the waiting room. They let them know what's what's happening. It doesn't sound like any of that happened to you,

spk_2:   21:17
Not not to my mother, you know.

spk_1:   21:20
And that might be why it wasn't a salient to you. I mean, I think that when they take the siblings into the hospital and shoot them, I think it's great because they understand better. But I wonder if it adds an element of fear that when you don't know, you can't really be afraid. Lis, you have a really active imagination, or now you watch some TV shows that make you scared. But that's really interesting. Sounds to me like you had the support anyway. And so it's not like you were feeling left out or feeling uncertain about the future because you were just surrounded by my loved ones.

spk_2:   21:56
We were, and and we we we really have so many strong people in our family, our grand parents and our parents and aunts and uncles that really yeah, It wasn't a worry for me. I just always knew that she would be okay.

spk_1:   22:11
That's wonderful. Oh, my gosh. Oh, it's so beautiful. I wish all families were that tight knit. That's it's just amazing. Well, Jeff, you were a young child when Jennifer had her first surgery and we were talking about that, that it's kind of hard for you to even remember back then. Can you tell us what you do remember from that first surgery? And if you remember getting any kind of support,

spk_4:   22:32
I remember support mostly was from family. There was the pastor of our church would come to Jenny's Room, like after surgeries or before surgeries. I kind of remember him being there, but other than that, it was mostly grand parents and aunts and uncles, and I remember spending a lot of time my grandparent's house and both my parents were working at the time, so I was there anyway, after school or in the summer, I spent a lot of time with grand parents. FamilyWise was pretty much all the sport there was. I do remember the Ronald McDonald House,

spk_1:   23:05
do you?

spk_4:   23:06
My parents stayed there the night of the surgery and I remember going on the next morning hanging out with him before we could go see Johnny.

spk_1:   23:12
So even though you live in Chicago, which is a big city, and so you would imagine the hospital would be right there for you, it sounds like maybe you're honest suburbs. How far was the hospital from your house?

spk_4:   23:23
Um, probably about 20 minutes 1/2 hour away. The round that column house was right there by the hospital was in the area. The hospital by us. She would. That's not where the major surgeries happened. There's a hospital out here by us. Remember, Grove? But the big surgeries were downtown. So instead of my parents having to stay so far away from her, they got stayed around the town house for the night of the surgery.

spk_1:   23:44
Do you remember if she was in the hospital for a long time? Yeah, well, you were a little kid. Sense surprising, but obviously it wasn't traumatic. Or else you would have remembered that

spk_4:   23:53
the thing I remember most from them around the garden house is that someone was watching the Incredible Hulk cartoon in the common. Okay, It was definitely not a dramatic experience.

spk_1:   24:05
Well, that's good to hear. Jessica, what advice would you give to parents about involving siblings in their heart? Warriors care, Especially since we understand you are such a nurturing and loving person and what Kam parents do to help maintain a sense of normalcy. Like what your parents did,

spk_2:   24:23
I would say, maybe talking to them a little bit more openly of what's going on. We really didn't understand the severity of it all, which I got, you know, they didn't want to have the worry that they had, but I think it would have made more sense in our heads. So why she was maybe a little more tended. Thio are maybe be more supportive to her going through it. I think back of being in high school and was really there for her. I hope I was there for her. I don't remember it very clearly, but maybe just having more of an open forum to talk about what was going on still that we understood it better and fires making life normal. I guess when you're a sibling of sister who's sick, that is your normal,

spk_1:   25:06
just you know what it is?

spk_2:   25:08
It was our family's normal. I never felt unloved. I never felt surprised if I ever needed to be scooted aside for a second Salvan issue with Johnny or learn something more on my own. I was happy to do so because it mean me like the person I am today. I'm a problem solver. I'm a caregiver. You know, I like that I do things my way. Really? I wouldn't change any of it. You know, I wish she was healthy, but I wouldn't have changed our childhood in any way. Yeah,

spk_1:   25:37
What Jeff is, I'm sure you know, by now congenital heart defects are the number one birth defect. Can you tell me if having a sister with a C h d affected your decision to have a child yourself? And did you and your wife take any special precautions?

spk_4:   25:52
It really didn't affect the decision at all having kids with something that we really wanted to do. And we had our own issues with that. We had to do IVF to get our son. We did have the genetic testing done, but that was something through IVF. But they wanted to make sure as much as possible that this was going to be successful before we went through everything. But any concerns. I didn't have any concerns about it. Based on Jenny, not at all. And really on anything. I mean, that's you can't really focus on the negative possibilities, especially if it's something that you really wanted. I

spk_1:   26:24
understand. Mac is just a teeny bit spoiled by his loving and

spk_4:   26:32
actually, right now,

spk_1:   26:33
if

spk_4:   26:33
I have quiet at my house tonight, it Anthony

spk_1:   26:40
No, no, no. Oh, my goodness. If you heard the way she prides on her nephew Oh, no. I have a feeling she is eating it access. Probably sitting there any cereal and watching cartoons with

spk_4:   26:51
serial. They're probably candy for breakfast over there.

spk_1:   26:57
Well, do you have anything to add to what your sister did about the normals? They have no helping parents to make sure that their Children do. You have a normal upbringing. It sounds like you guys had the ideal situation.

spk_4:   27:09
Anything. Mostly, it was our parents that made it that great. I mean, it seems like it would be such a stressful situation, and our parents did a great job of not sharing that stress with us. And I think that's what made it easiest that could meet. It seemed to us that this was just something that was happening, and it wasn't anything that we really needed to be that concerned about.

spk_1:   27:30
Well, that's wonderful. Like I said, I really hope they listen to this because I know that you know as parents. And you know this now yourself, Jeff, you don't get feedback until it's too late. 20 or 30 years.

spk_4:   27:45
Remember when you were a good build a workout?

spk_1:   27:50
I know because everything has changed. I mean, the world now compared to the world in the eighties. Look at it. But it is so different. There's no way you could raise your child. I mean, unless you lived on an island, it would be hard to go back just with the Internet and cable, the way it is and television shows and movies and stuff. It's a very different world in the world that you grew up in. Don't you think it sounds like you're doing a loving job and that your sisters are also very loving and you're in the same neighborhood, so I imagine grandparent's stoat on him as well. It's what she says. He's the only grandchild, right? Right. Do you have great grand parents for? Does he have great grand parents? Soul? I

spk_4:   28:35
know I'm not anymore. Did he was around for, um, Grandma Galore? Our mother's mom. He was the only one left with human.

spk_1:   28:45
I'm glad she got a chance to see him because it sounds like is such a loving family. And I know being a mother myself that it's seeing those babies grandbabies have been great grandbabies come into the family That makes you just of, ah, heart that is overflowing with love. And it sounds to me like that describes your family perfectly well. I just cannot thank the two of you enough for coming on the show today. I hope every show in season 11 is as wonderful as this. Thank

spk_4:   29:17
you.

spk_2:   29:17
Yeah, I think we're trailing on.

spk_1:   29:19
Jenny wasn't sure that she could get both of you to agree to do this. So I'm really glad that you both said that you would come on your very first public as you guys have been, too. Thanks. Well, that does conclude this episode of heart to heart with it. And thanks for listening today. Please come back next week on Tuesday at noon Eastern time. Until then, please find us in like us on iTunes. Remember,

spk_6:   29:44
my friends, Not heart to Heart With Emma 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 resources to the congenital heart defect community to uplift and power and enrich the lives of our community members. If you would like access to free resource, is pretending to the CHP 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. Thank you again for joining us this week way Hope you have been inspired on Empowered to become an advocate for the congenital heart defect community. Heart to heart with Anna With your hose down, Gorsky can be heard every Tuesday at 12 noon Eastern time.