When we found out we were pregnant, we were overjoyed. Like any first-time parents, everything felt new — exciting, hopeful, and a little scary. My pregnancy began smoothly, and it truly felt like everything was unfolding perfectly.

At our anatomy scan, that sense of ease changed. As soon as the scan began, I asked, “Is his heart okay? Is it beating?” I hadn’t focused much on this before, but in that moment I had an overwhelming feeling that something wasn’t right. When the doctor told us our baby had a severe heart defect and would need open-heart surgery shortly after birth, our world stopped. The days that followed were heavy — filled with fear, tears, waiting, and learning more than we ever imagined about tiny hearts.

Charlie was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia. Fittingly, our little heart warrior was unexpectedly born on Valentine’s Day — a day centered around hearts — during Heart Month. It felt like a quiet reminder that his story would be defined by strength, love, and resilience, and that somehow, everything would be okay.

At just five days old, Charlie had three stents placed in his PDA, with the hope that he would make it to three or four months before his major repair. But like everything else in Charlie’s journey, he had other plans. At five weeks old, he underwent his full heart repair. His surgery went exactly as hoped, and after two long months in the CICU, we finally brought him home. Since then, Charlie has shown us what true strength looks like.

This has been the hardest year of our lives, but we would do it all again for our miracle boy. 👼🏻❤️

And to any new heart mom reading this — especially if you’re standing at the very beginning of this journey — please know you are not alone. Take it one moment at a time. Your baby is stronger than you know, and so are you. Early on, I read something that stayed with me: you are still having a baby, not a heart defect. I clung to that throughout my pregnancy. Celebrate your baby — they deserve to be celebrated, and you deserve every memory and moment with your loved ones as you prepare for their arrival. There is hope, there is light, and there is so much love ahead. 🤍