In 2022, our daughter, Parker Magic Abbott, was diagnosed in utero with complete atrioventricular canal defect and coarctation of the aorta, a rare (2 in 10,000) congenital heart defect resulting in only two chambers, one valve, and a too narrow aorta. Before we even met her, my husband, Pete, and I learned that our girl would need at least one, but likely three surgeries within her childhood. This is where we met the cardiology team at Boston Children's Hospital. Parker spent her first two weeks of life in the cardiac intensive care unit at Children's. At six weeks old, she had open heart surgery after going into heart failure much sooner than her doctors anticipated. At nine weeks old, we got to take Parker home, and we spent much of the next year anticipating her next surgery.
We celebrated one year post-op by fundraising for Children’s Team Miles for Miracle, where Pete ran the Boston Marathon for the first time. It was a way for us to recognize and express our deep gratitude for the care they provided us during the previous year; not only to Parker, but to our entire family. Shortly after, by some stroke of magic, we learned that Parker’s surgical repair was more successful than we ever expected; her cardiologist shared that if he didn’t know her history, he wouldn’t be able to tell that Parker ever had a congenital heart defect.
As we near our second year post-op, it’s my turn to fundraise. This year, we celebrate the healing we’ve done together and the future that was afforded to us because of what Children's offers to its patients. Parker is a rambunctious, silly toddler with endless amounts of energy. She is curious and detail-oriented, and loves to explore her world. She is the center of attention anywhere she goes, and the most empathetic person I’ve ever met. Our family has so much life to look forward to, simply because we were fortunate enough to have found Children’s.
I am participating in Yoga Reaches Out on April 28 to raise money for Children’s Every Child Fund. This fund provides families like mine with every resource necessary to battle the most complex of childhood diseases. Please consider supporting my goal and donating to this lifesaving cause.