Saving Little Hearts - helping children with congenital heart defects

We hope you benefit from this touching story about the Saving Little Hearts family matching program. If you would like to sign up for the program, click this link for more information. Saving Little Hearts would like to personally thank Raquel and Suzy for sharing their very personal story with us.

Raquel's Story

The day that my husband and I found out that our unborn son had complex heart defects I got on the Internet to try and find some answers. I came across the Saving Little Hearts website and saw that they did parent matches. I filled out my information and right away received an email from Karin letting me know about a mother whose son also has a CHD, although the complexes were different she thought this mother would be able to help. That is when we met Suzy (our angel sent to help us) who although did not know much about our sons defect did everything in her power to get us answers.

Suzy became so much more than a support person, she as well as her husband and family became close and dear friends. They are now a part of our family. She was with us through this whole journey never leaving our side and doing her best to help us understand what was going on with our son. She was there with us for his birth, every surgery, every good moment and even the bad ones. She would listen to us cry and yell, and would sit for hours with us and our son Austin Skylar. When Austin started to turn for the worse it was time for her to stop supporting us and mourn with us. After my husband let her know that, you could see a sense of relief in her. She could now show our little Austin how much she truly loved him. My husband and I were trying to figure out who would be the perfect Godmother for Austin, and only one person who came to mind was SUZY! How could we not ask her. She so quickly went from a stranger just there to help with answers to a great friend and the perfect Godmother.

On August 29,2005 Austin passed away, he was 56 days old and he fought so bravely and finally won his battle. Since we lived a good 45 minutes away, on the day of his passing we asked Suzy if she would sit with him until we got there and of course she did. It made us feel good that if our son was to pass before we got there he had someone who loved him just as much as we did there with him. I held him as he passed and his wonderful Godmother rocked him right after he left this world. Between my husband and I, and Suzy and her husband we now have a connection and bond that will never be broken. I am so grateful for Karin and Saving Little Hearts. Their parent match brought us more than some answers. It brought us a life long friendship. Suzy now will forever be connected to Austin because she has a part of him with her always. She received a necklace with his ashes, and she truly deserved it. I would never in a million years change my decision to have done a parent match.

Raquel

Suzy's Story

I registered with Saving Little Hearts parent match and from time to time Karin and I would keep in contact. One day I got an email from her. A family near me would be having a child with very complex heart defects. She told me that she knew my son had not had such complex heart defects, but this family would be using the same hospital and surgeon that saved my son Tanner's life. Would I be interested in a parent match?

Of course I would! I emailed them and told them they were not alone in this journey of the heart. I learned, researched and studied the information given to me. We stayed in constant contact and somewhere along the line it went much much deeper than being a "support person". The parents, (Mitch and Raquel) and me and my husband just "clicked". When Raquel went into labor I was in the delivery room and watched a beautiful red headed little boy enter the world.

Austin Skylar entered this world with tears and love...And from the second we met him we were all in love. So perfect, ten fingers, ten toes. Austin fought such a valiant fight, and you could not help but be overwhelmed by his will to live. Austin earned the nick name "Tiger" and soon his room was filled with tigers. As our friendship grew Mitch and Raquel asked me to be Austin's God Mother to which I was honored to accept.

Eventually Austin won his battle with CHD. Austin passed away at 56 days old. I saw him prior to his death, and immediately after. I held him and rocked him and loved him. Mitch and Raquel and I and my husband have a connection that cannot be broken. If approached and asked to do this again, knowing the outcome would I do it?

ABSOLUTELY

Austin changed my life. I met people who I truly feel are family. I feel honored to have been allowed to be a part of Austin's life and death. After the funeral Mitch and Raquel gave me a gold heart shaped pendant that is filled with Austin's ashes. I am honored and awed that they would give me such a priceless treasure. It makes me realize that yes I touched them, as they touched me. And we are truly joined by the heart.

Suzy Q