loving 17-year-old, but she joined her
family as a fighter. Her mother, Jennifer,
learned Megan would be born with Hypoplastic
Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) – a congenital heart
defect (CHD) that affects blood flow through the heart
and results in the left side of a baby’s heart not forming correctly during pregnancy.
“I was scared, but also fortunate to be
able to meet with Megan’s surgeon while I was
still pregnant. The doctor invited us to a picnic
where I could meet parents and their children
with CHDs. That was the most valuable gift
that I could have been given. I learned that kids
with CHDs can have active and happy lives
and it gave me a community to share tears, experiences
and questions with,” said Jennifer.
Seventeen years and four surgeries later
– the first when she was only three days old –
Megan is now a typical teenager who loves art,
science and taking road trips. “Many kids that
have a CHD will tell you the same thing. We
don’t see this condition as a challenge, because
it’s a strength, and it is our normal,” Megan said.
Megan’s favorite quote is from Harper Lee:
“You never really understand a person until
you consider things from his point of view- until
you climb inside his skin and walk around in
it.” She dreams of working with youth to combat
depression and mental health issues, adopting
three children and giving back to the CHD
camp that helped her when she was struggling.
Although Megan’s CHD HLHS is
still rare, heart defects are the number
one birth defect of babies. One in 100 babies
will experience a CHD of some type.
Megan is a thriving, creative, road trip
Although the rate of Congenital
Heart Defects has not decreased over time,
more infants with heart defects are surviving
to adulthood because of advancements
made through research and technology. The
American Heart Association is working hard
every day to fund research right here in
the Greater New Orleans area that helps
to save lives through advanced systems of
care, medicines, treatment and prevention.
Join the fight and support heart survivors like
Megan. Join Megan and Jennifer on National
Wear Red Day, Friday, February 1. Wear red
to show your support to combat CHDs and to
defeat heart disease, which takes more lives
than all cancers combined. Together we can
show our support and take a stand to raise
awareness.
Special Thanks to Photography by Krystin, with KKD Photography
for donating her time & talent for the photo shoot!
www.kkdphotographynola.com 504.982.1231
/www.kkdphotographynola.com