This is an anthology of stories, poems, and artwork by people born with congenital heart defects (CHDs). These authors share their stories of hope on several themes. This volume includes the following themes: Growing Up with Congenital Heart Defects, How My CHD Defines Me, Being Active with CHD, and CHDs Around the Globe. Since CHDs are the #1 birth defect around the world, people across the globe are living with birth defects that could literally end their lives in a heartbeat.
What does it mean to live with tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, hypoplastic left (or right) heart syndrome, single ventricle, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, or a Fontan heart? How does having a CHD affect your ability to become a mother? Since most of the authors in this book were born with complex congenital heart defects and have at least one open-heart surgery, they have a unique connection with one another. The way the authors describe their experiences is eerily similar, despite having been born in different decades, in different locations, and receiving treatment at various hospitals across the globe. The commonality is their heart defect and their relationship with their own mortality.
This book is co-edited by Anna Jaworski, the mother of an adult child with a critical congenital heart defect, and Megan Tones, a heart warrior--a term we reserve for people born with a CHD. Together, they have edited stories of strength and resilience, hope and despair, and success and triumph. Besides being an editor, Megan Tones is a contributor to the book. Her contributions show her capacity for understanding what other authors have shared. Many of the authors have shared stories of the trauma they have endured in living with a chronic, life-threatening condition. These stories are sure to bring comfort and hope to members of the congenital heart defect community.