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2023 Superhero Heart Run Ambassador – Wesley Laleman
Wesley was born with Truncus Arteriosus in February of 2016. Wes’ heart journey started before he was born. At our 18 week ultrasound, it was determined Wes had a heart defect and at 23 weeks of pregnancy, the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital was able to diagnose his heart defect as Truncus Arteriosus. […]
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2021 SuperHero Heart Run Ambassador- Andrew Burton
When Andrew was born we did not know of his heart defect. He was diagnosed the next morning with Tetrology of Fallot. As first time parents and now first time parents of a heart baby, his dad and I were terrified. Right away Andrew proved to not be a “typical” TOF baby. (As if there […]
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August Heart Hero- Kaeli Knapp
On February 7th, 2018 my husband & I joined the heart family. I was 23 weeks pregnant with our daughter when we were referred to a heart specialist, after a 2-hour ECHO, he told us that our daughter would be born with Tetralogy of Fallot & Pulmonary Atresia and would require numerous surgeries. On May […]
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2020 Auction Ambassador – Paxton Naiditch
In the summer of 2018, our lives were rocked when we learned our second son, Paxton, had a congenital heart defect (CHD) called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or HLHS. At the time Elise was 20 weeks pregnant with him, and we were in the middle of a move from Chicago to Des Moines. Panic and […]
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May Heart Angel – In Loving Memory of Evangeline Mally Nawaz – 11.11.18 – 12.14.19
We went in for our gender and anatomy ultrasound at about 20 weeks and found out we were having a baby girl! The ultrasound tech went on to say how stubborn our baby girl was. Eva would not move into a position that allowed the tech to get a good look at her heart, we […]
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April Heart Hero – Max Preston
Max is a survivor. He is truly a medical marvel. I know all heart heroes are, but Max is a truly special case. His diagnosis is heterotaxy causing right atrial isomerism, unbalanced complete AVSD with left ventricular dominance and right ventricular hypoplasia, transposition of the great arteries, subpulmonary and pulmonary valve stenosis, twin AV node […]
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March Heart Angel – In Loving Memory of Jennings Wallace – 8.16.18 – 3.25.19
Jennings was born via emergency C-section on August 16th, 2 months premature and with a severe heart defect. At 2 days old, he was transferred to a hospital 2 hours away. The focus was to get him up in weight (he was only 2lbs 9oz when he was born) and getting his lungs strong enough […]
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February Heart Hero – Haydn Huddleson
Haydn Elise Huddleson was born April 14, 2016. There were no complications during the pregnancy or delivery. She did struggle with bilirubin and had to have a biliblanket for several days. Her heart rates/pressures were always within normal range in utero and after birth. Haydn’s pediatrician/cardiologist noticed a slight murmur, but we were told to […]
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January Heart Angel – In Loving Memory of Sydney Burke – 3.12.19 – 9.14.19
Sydney was born on March 12 with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), meaning the left side of her heart did not fully develop. Her pulmonary veins (bring the blood from the lungs to the heart) were obstructed at birth, which required her to need emergency open heart surgery within the first few hours of her […]
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December Heart Hero – Calvin Kroeger
Calvin was born on a warm fall day in September 2013. It was a very unremarkable pregnancy, and a rather unremarkable delivery. Everything seemed fine with our 9 lb. 14 oz. bundle of joy. He wasn’t eating right away, but no one seemed concerned. However, after 6 hours passed and he still wasn’t able to […]
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