The Congenital Heart Walk is a national fundraising event series benefiting the Adult Congenital Hearts Association (ACHA) and The Children's Heart Foundation (CHF). The events are intended to honor and support those affected by congenital heart disease.
The FIRST EVER Nashville Congenital Heart Walk raised $54,055, which
more than doubled the walk's original goal of $25,000. The
were the top fundraising team and had five of its members inducted into
the Golden Heart Club for raising more than $10
$1,59We had 38 people representing our team at the event and
many others representing our team across the country. The Lionhearts'
fundraising grand total was $11,131!!! YES!! AMAZING!
We cannot say enough how grateful we are to all of you for your support
and encouragement! The past few months have been a beautiful adventure!
TO GOD BE THE GLORY! HE DOES AWESOME THINGS!
Please keep
spreading congenital heart defect awareness! Awareness creates funds for
research, the kind of research used to help our children. Thank you!
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| Blake and Lauren with their grandmothers |
Nashville Congenital Heart Walk Awards 2015
Most Money - Team: Lionhearts ($11,131)
Most Money - Individual: Tracy Armstrong
Most Spirited: Neyland's Pacemakers
Best T-Shirt: Team Isaac
Most Participants: Paul's Heart
Youngest Walker: Team Lawson
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| Ayden & Jude |
Bryan spoke at the event. Below is his speech:
"The only guidance I was given is to 'bring home the mission' of the
walk. I think the best way I can fulfill that task is to make a series
of confessions.
First, I must confess my presence here before you
representing the Lionhearts is in no way indicative of my level of
contribution to the team. Our team represents three families who have
been directly, and even tragically, affected by congenital heart
defects. I am only one of six parents, not to mention grandparents,
siblings, and other family members. I am not here to take credit for
their efforts. And, what has been amazing and inspiring to me is that
the success of our team is not solely due to three sets of families.
What I find most encouraging are the efforts of the friends who have
taken up our cause when they did not have to:
-The family of five
that held a yard sale, and sold donuts, and established personal
fundraising goals for themselves that they set out to meet.
-The online retailer that took it upon herself to set up and run an auction that raised almost $1000.
-The long list of friends who donated the items that were auctioned off.
-The young boy who decided he would get up early one cold February
morning to stand outside and sell coffee to his neighbors. He raised
over $300.
These dedicated families and loving friends who make
up our team are why I am standing here. For those of you who are
present, thank you.
I also want to confess I am a terrible story
teller. I am prone to say too much, to give too much detail. I tend to
be too focused on what I am saying, rather than how I say it. I could
have tried to tell you the story of my son, Ayden, but I know I can’t do
it justice. So, instead of a telling his story, I have a list I would
like to read to you:
-1 cardiac ablation
-1 diaphragm plication
-2 electrophysiology studies
-2 ECMO connections
-3 cath procedures
-3 heart surgeries
-4 chest openings
-4 pacing studies
-4 swallow studies
-5 combined ED/unscheduled clinic visits
-6 SVT episodes
-At least 7 blood transfusions
-8 intubations
-11 chest tubes
-At least 30 NG feeding tubes
-At least 45 sticks for blood draws, IV lines, PICC lines, and other
access lines (and this is probably way too low of an estimate)
-48 minutes of CPR
-70 hours of life support
-At least 150 days in the hospital
-countless ECHOs, ultrasounds, EKGs, blood pressures, lab tests, cultures, x-rays, etc.
All of that happened before he was 2.5 years old. In some ways, that
list is Ayden’s story. Or, part of it, at least. Either way, his story
isn’t over. Now he’s five. He goes to school. He runs. He jumps. He
laughs. He cops an attitude. He tells people exactly what he is
thinking. He plays baseball.
(He loves baseball, by the way. He tells us he’s going to be as good at baseball as Michael Jordan was at basketball.)
Unfortunately, the sad truth is there are too many children born with
heart defects whose stories end all too soon. I know the very real and
immediate fear of losing a child, because I have lived that fear. For
me, that fear has not been realized. But for too many families, it has.
Which leads me to my last, and most troubling, confession.
Six years ago, I did not know congenital heart defects existed. How is
that possible??? How could I have never heard of them? How could I have
never heard of something that is more common than childhood cancer, and
more deadly? How could I have never heard of the most common category of
birth defect? How could I never have heard of the leading cause of
infant deaths in the United States?
My blissful ignorance was
shattered at a 20-week ultrasound 5.5 years ago. That ignorance, maybe
more than anything else, is why I am standing here. There is not enough
awareness. And because there is not enough awareness, there is not
enough money for research. And because there is not enough money for
research, too many children’s stories end too quickly.
So, I will
end where I began. I am grateful for this opportunity to help increase
awareness and funding. It is my very personal hope and prayer that this
event, and others like it, do nothing but grow and grow, so that
mortality rates go down and quality of life goes up.
Actually, I
lied. I have one more confession. Even knowing all of the things I now
know, and why I know, I wouldn’t change anything. Ayden is who he is.
His story is his own. And it is inspiring. And miraculous. I can’t
imagine him being anyone else.
Here’s to helping create more stories like his. Thank you.
"
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| Our Family with Dr. Markham |
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| Lionhearts in NYC! |
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| Lionhearts in Texas! |
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| Lionhearts in other parts of Tennessee! |
