Sharing Stories

I think most people can agree that there are lots of changes that need to happen in the medical community when it comes to congenital heart defects. Pulse ox screening, early detection, and more education for medical professionals, especially in community hospitals. But I think we also know how hard (and expensive!) it can be to bring about such changes, especially in large health care systems. Sometimes the very thought of it all can be overwhelming - can we even make a dent?

During the "Our Community Has Heart!" event, a woman came up to me and introduced herself. She had worked for years as the patient care manager of our hospital's OB floor but is now teaching nursing classes at Rasmussen College. She found out about our event and gave her students extra credit to not only attend, but to give blood as well. How awesome is that?!

She told me that she was just starting to teach her LPN students about congenital heart defects and wondered if I might come speak to them. Of course I agreed, what an opportunity!

A few days later I walked into a class of 20+ students all curious on what I was going to talk about. Now I'm no medical professional, but isn't it incredible how much we as heart parents quickly learn about the medical field? More than we ever wanted to know! I began with sharing Hazel's story, very intimate details that brought tears to my eyes. I ended with the stories of Amayah Thomas and David Tesch (I was given permission by their parents of course) and opened it up for questions.

At first there was silence as people processed all that had been said. Then the questions started. We discussed the signs of CHD to look for. I shared how nurses quickly become like family as they often know more about your child and experience than most. And I stressed how important it is to listen to a mother expressing concerns of something being wrong, even if they can't make sense of it. How many of you were dismissed after voicing an opinion when your gut was telling you something was wrong?

I left that day full of hope. Twenty more people were told about CHD in a way that a textbook could never make real. And I realized that that is how Lasting Imprint is going to make the greatest impact. There are so many things I love about this organization, but it would be nothing without the people. Without your stories. Each of us has a story that is unique and inspiring. And sharing those stories with others is what is going to bring about the awareness and change that we need.

If you know of opportunities where someone could speak to share our message, please let me know! And thank you to each of you for sharing your story with others!