Losing a baby let alone being told "there is no heartbeat" are words that I have heard many times. Each pregnancy began with a bloom of hope-a hope that was crushed under the weight of each miscarriage.
When I became pregnant with Liam, every doctors appointment was shadowed by the past and approached with a held breath.
And then, during one of those visits, the words "cleft lip", "cleft palate" and "ventricular septal defect (VSD)" were announced at my 20 week anatomy scan.
Navigating these diagnoses has been daunting, but finding a community at Children's National became my lifeline. I chose the name Liam because the name means warrior. He truly is a warrior and this fundraiser is in honor of him.
After Liam was born we had many emergency room scares. I have the utmost respect for Children's National with how the staff showed such compassion for Liam when he was admitted due to concerns with his VSD.
Liam is scheduled to receive his first set of surgeries to correct his cleft lip on May 3, 2024.
My family and I are participating in the Race For Every Child as a declaration of our resilience and a celebration of the community at Children's National that has supported us.
Your support to the Cleft Lip Warriors fundraiser will help other families whose children are going through craniofacial health challenges.
