Hannah's Story
Hannah's family was devastated when they learned during a prenatal screening that Hannah had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, meaning that the left side of Hannah's heart was underdeveloped and weak. Hannah's mother, Holly, delivered Hannah at Duke; as soon as she was born she was rushed to the Pediatric Cardiac ICU (PCICU). Hannah had her first open-heart surgery at just three days old.
Hannah spent 64 days in the PCICU; this was during peak COVID, so it was very difficult for the family, as they couldn't have any visitors -- not even her two older brothers, Lucas and Liam.
Holly recalls the nurses dressing Hannah up in bows and girly blankets and sending photos when they were separated at night due to COVID visitor restrictions. They also wrote notes to Hannah’s brothers “from Hannah” since they couldn’t meet her for so long. Hannah finally met her brothers when she was 3 months old, and she returned to Duke at seven months for another heart surgery.
Hannah had a third planned open heart surgery in Fall 2023 at Duke. This surgery was harder as she was older and more aware of what was happening, but the Duke team, especially Child Life, helped the family navigate the stay. The Pet Therapy dogs also provided a huge comfort to Hannah. Holly and Hannah's father, Blake, have enormous love for the other families they have met at Duke, especially those who have lost children to congenital heart defects.
Hannah's condition is currently stable, but she has many doctors’ appointments, speech and OT therapy, and a feeding tube. She will likely need a heart transplant one day. Despite all of this she is a busy five-year-old little girl and a pageant queen! Holly enrolled Hannah in a pageant and she served as Baby Miss Princess of NC and helped raise funds for Victory Junction, a camp for medically fragile kids.
Because of Duke, our daughter has a chance at a beautiful life. This diagnosis and Duke have created lifelong bonds, some formed over brokenness and some not, but all are centered around some very strong kids and the people who help them.